Irrevocable Abduction
by savannavansmutsmut
Summary: A botched rescue attempt leaves Bella knowing too much. She ends up kidnapped, unable to return to her life because of an odd boy who has what everyone calls 'episodes' around her. She thinks of him as her innocent captor.
1. Chapter 1

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers.**

**Dollybigmomma is my awesome Beta for this story and wrote the prologue because she's just awesome like that. Y'all should check her out.**

**OH, YEAH! WARNING!**

**Attempted rape in the prologue here. Of course, you know I would never let that happen to Bella so breathe a sigh of relief. If you're sensitive to the subject just skip it and scroll to chapter one. You should be fine from there. Thanks for reading.**

**Prologue**

Port Angeles was a beautiful city by day, but by late evening I couldn't help but find it growing eerie as the chilly wind whipped around me. The sounds of the bay in the distance echoed off the buildings as I walked alone after dinner, looking forward to visiting my favorite book seller before heading back to my little efficiency. The restaurant I chose tonight, Cherry Blossoms, was a welcome break and a real treat from my usual nightly choices of ramen or tuna, and a cup of diced fruit with my yogurt. Yeah, being a college sophomore on a very tight budget limited my dining choices substantially.

Being the quiet and shy person I was also limited my dinner company. Actually, more like negated it. But, I found companionship in a good book I was finishing while I enjoyed my hot and sour soup, egg roll and vegetable fried rice. Hey, it was what I could afford on my monthly splurge. Once a month I allowed myself a nice dinner out and the acquisition of a new book, which was where I was headed next.

After spending almost an hour locating something suitable to read, I made my purchase and headed back out into the evening. The sun had completely set now, and most of the stores and business had closed. I didn't realize it was getting that late. I picked up my pace, pulling my jacket up more snugly around my thin body, as the wind had also picked up and the temperature had dropped a good ten to fifteen degrees over the course of the evening.

My apartment building was just a few blocks away, and I could begin to hear the sounds of other Peninsula College students as they entertained and socialized, their music and laughter floating on the night air. I turned down the alley I always cut through to get to my building since my apartment was on the back of the complex. My building backed up to a row of clubs that were popular with many of the students, but I avoided them because one, I was still under aged at barely twenty, and two, a couple of them were known to attract trouble. I had been fortunate never to have a problem with any of the loiterers, but tonight, my luck had run out.

As I approached the stairwell for my unit, five men stepped out of the shadows. The smell wafting off their bodies suggested they had spent the better part of the day consuming enough alcohol to reduce their collective IQ to less than the average lone cave man. By the looks on their faces as I attempted to walk past them, I would rather have taken my chances with the cave man.

"Look what we have here, gentlemen. A little kitty lost in the alley. Come have a drink with us, kitten. We're harmless, and we'll take turns stroking you all night," one of the guys, a tall dark haired Neanderthal cooed and tried to pull me against him.

"Hey, Donny, can I play with the pussy? I'll bet she scratches when you rub her the wrong way!" another one leered at me. "I like it when they hiss and spit. Makes them more fun to tame."

The others were laughing and trying to touch me, but I wasn't going down without a fight. I started swinging the bag my book was in trying to hold them off, but the biggest one grabbed the bag and jerked me toward him, squeezing me against his body with his hand over my face while he rammed his huge rough hand down the front of my jeans. I bit his finger as hard as I could, and when he moved it from my face, I screamed the most bloodcurdling scream I could muster.

They had all moved in and were tugging at my clothes now, and I was struggling and crying, trying my best to hold on. Suddenly, I fell to the ground as the guy holding me screamed out in pain and dropped me. I began crawling away when another of the guys grabbed the back of my jeans, trying to drag me back, but he, too, was instantly on the ground and unconscious. The other three were looking around trying to figure out how their buddies were falling. I managed to scuttle back under the stairwell, and then I saw it. At first I couldn't help but think I had hit my head because what I saw couldn't really be true. A woman sped past, almost too fast for my eyes to detect. She picked up one of the guys over her head and tossed him as if he weighed no more than a pillow before moving to the next one in a blur of speed.

Another one of the guys was suddenly on the ground and it was then that I saw her face. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her long blonde hair and angelic features were a contradiction to the warrior I saw taking down my assailants one by one. She was so strong, and fast. Too fast. No mere mortal could possibly move like that, or look like that. What was she?

The last guy had tried to run, but he, too, was now on the ground. I gasped as I looked up and saw her standing over him, a look of pure hatred and fury radiating from her beautiful face. She looked up and saw me watching her, my face a combination of terror and wonder. "How did you move so fast like that?" I mumbled. "And you picked them up and threw them like they were cotton balls. Who…what are you?"

That was all I remembered before everything went dark.

**Chapter 1 – Mine**

**Bpov**

When I came to, it was dark and my hands were bound. I was on my back.

"Why did you bring her here?" a man asked.

"I didn't know where else to take her. She saw what I could do. I didn't know what to do with her. I had meant to save her but I'm afraid I've ended her life as she knows it." It was her, my would be savior.

"Did she have a driver's license, something with an address? I may be able to drug her and return her home. She'll just think it was a dream," the first man said.

I felt someone reaching into my pockets roughly. They felt icy cold, causing me to shiver.

"Edward," the first man called out, "Bring me something to knock her out."

I felt a cool breeze and then heard a growl.

"What's wrong with you?" the first man asked.

"Mine!" growled a new voice. "She's mine, you can't take her!"

"Edward, get a hold of yourself. Stop breathing, now!"

It was pitch black. I strained to see the outlines of figures in the darkness. It looked like two were holding back a third.

"I'm sorry, father," the third one apologized. "You can't send her back; she won't be safe from me. You have to keep her. I'm sorry."

"Get him out of here. I'll figure out what to do with him later," the first man said.

I felt a pin prick in my arm and everything went silent.

**A/N: So are you interested? Dollybigmomma wrote the prologue for me. She thought you needed to be pulled in, so are you pulled? I will be updating again very soon. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

All Characters belong to Stephenie Meyers and Dollybigmomma is my beta genius.

Chapter 2 Stranger that are nice.

"Morning, sleepy head," a cheerful voice woke me from my heavy sleep.

Was last night really just a dream? If it was, who was this stranger in my room? I opened my eyes to find I was in fact not at home. I was in a huge room. It looked like part of a mansion.

"Hello, Isabella, I'm Alice," said a little sprite of a girl who bounced on my bed, or her bed, or someone's bed. I hadn't figured it out yet.

"Esme, my mother, is making you some breakfast. She'll be up in a little while. Are you feeling okay?" she asked truly concerned.

"What happened?" I asked hoping for an answer but thinking she would give me none.

"Rose saw what was going to happen to you last night. She couldn't stand by and let those men..." I shivered remembering the five men surrounding me.

"Well, you know, I can tell by the look on your face. The problem is, you saw her."

"The blonde, she was fast, too fast, and strong."

"See, that right there is why you're still here, that and Edward," she rolled her eyes.

"Edward?" I asked remembering his name. I think he was the one that growled.

"Yes, apparently you're the most tempting candy he's ever caught a whiff of, so it's probably best if you stay where we can keep an eye on you both," she said hopping off the bed and walking to the closet.

"I hung up an outfit for you to wear today but we're going to have to do some shopping for you. Is there anything else you'll need besides food and clothes? I mean, like a certain shampoo and body wash you prefer. Oh, is there a certain comfort food you would enjoy?" she asked excitedly.

"I, um, what?" I was confused.

The woman I assumed to be Esme came walking in. "Good morning, Isabella. I hope you're hungry."

Esme looked like the warm motherly type. She smiled as she set the tray in my lap and uncovered the meal. "How is your head this morning? Carlisle said that you might feel a little groggy and maybe have a headache? I brought you some pain pills if that's the case," she said pointing to the bottle on the tray.

I nodded my head and then regretted it. I reached up to brace my head against the pain.

"Why don't I have my husband come check you out? He can make sure you were not injured last night," Esme said then turned her head and spoke in a normal voice. "Carlisle, dear, would you come and check on our Isabella?"

The door opened and then I heard a growling behind it. "She's mine!" someone shouted.

A blonde man walked through the door and smiled at me, ignoring the commotion outside my door. "Good morning, Isabella, I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen. You may call me Carlisle. How are you feeling this morning? Is anything hurting?" he asked kindly and pulled out his doctor's bag. I didn't get these people. Something was off about them but they were all really nice. He pulled out his pen light and asked me to look at him, shining the light in my eyes. I was clumsy enough to know when a doctor was checking for a concussion.

"I'm fine, it's just my head," I said squinting my eyes against the pain.

"That's to be expected, go ahead and take the pain medication and try and get some rest after you eat. Alice, your shopping spree is going to have to wait until tomorrow. She needs her rest, doctor's orders," he added when the little pixie girl groaned in disappointment.

Alice left and Carlisle followed. Esme, at least I think that was Esme, sat with me while I ate, watching me to see if I liked it. She must have cooked it and she did fine.

"Thank you for breakfast," I said awkwardly "When can I go home?" I finally asked.

She looked at me sadly. "I'm sorry, Isabella, but you'll need to stay here. It's not safe for you to be home right now."

"What? I don't understand. I thought Blondie took care of the bad guys."

She chuckled a little. "Rose did handle them but we have a little problem of our own. Carlisle is working with him now. We hope to get it taken care of, but there's still one major issue."

"What is that?"

"You know we are different."

I sighed and shrugged, "So, what you are, like superheroes or something?"

She laughed and it was beautiful, like bells chiming. "Oh, I suppose on some level someone may see us that way, but in the end we're not, and you know too much."

My heart raced, that was the line they told you before they killed you.

Suddenly, something came bursting through the doors. A vise grip wrapped me up, holding me against something cold and hard.

"She's mine!" a velvet voice growled, "You're not to touch her!"

Esme stood up slowly as if approaching a wild animal. "I wasn't going to hurt her, Edward."

"You scared her!" the man holding me snapped. "I heard her heart beat start to race. She's mine!" he said squeezing me a little tighter and I groaned in pain.

"Edward, I had just told her she couldn't go home. Of course she was upset. She's fine, she's safe."

"She's mine," he said.

"Yes, she's yours; now let her get some rest. She's still not feeling well," Esme coaxed. I felt his grip loosen a little as she backed toward the door. "Put her in the bed, son," she said opening the door to the hall. I saw another blonde man and a dark haired man standing there as if they were waiting for something.

The man that had me lifted me up and carefully set me on the bed. Once he laid me down I was able to get a better look at him. He had shocking bronze hair and bright red eyes.

I gasped and my heart raced.

He put his hand on my chest over my heart. "Isabella, please, you must settle down, you're making this difficult for me."

I started panting under his touch. I was scared for my life under his icy cold hand but there was an undercurrent there as well that I didn't understand.

"She needs to take her pills," Esme called from across the room.

It must have been enough of a distraction because he moved to get the pills and handed them to me with my drink. "You need rest."

I took the pills from him nervously. I had a feeling he wasn't all that stable and I wasn't about to do anything to upset him.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He laughed and then his face twisted in pain. He stumbled back to a chair on the far side of the room and curled up in a ball, hiding his face.

Esme took a step towards him, coming into the room again. "No," he said firmly, "She's fine, leave her be. I'll just watch over her while she rests."

Esme looked torn and then Alice nodded yes to her, though I didn't know why Alice would be the one she would ask permission from.

To my surprise Esme closed the door, leaving me with this man whom I assumed was Edward.

"You're Edward, right?" I asked just to be sure.

He looked up at me surprised that I had spoken to him. "Yes, I'm sorry," was all he said before he tucked his head back down.

I didn't understand him. He seemed protective of me. He was upset that Esme had upset me and seemed to be sitting guard now but trying to hide from me at the same time. There was also the little thing with the word 'mine'. He said I was his several times now and it seemed that the others agreed with him. I just didn't know what that meant and I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

The pills I had taken started to pull me under and I slept deep again but not as deep as the night before, because I dreamt that cool hands were caressing my face as a velvet voice whispered he was sorry.

a/n thanks for reading please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers and Dollybigmomma is the beta love of my life.**

**Chapter 3 - Innocent Captor**

**BPOV**

I heard a knocking on the door and stirred in my sleep. "She needs to eat, Edward. She only ate breakfast yesterday." It sounded like Alice.

I had yet to open my eyes but I think he knew I was awake. He made no move to speak to me and I didn't know what to say to him. He was the reason I had to stay here and I wasn't sure how I felt about that yet. They were by no means cruel captors but this was going to interfere with my schooling.

The smell of food wafted to my nose. He must have brought it close by. I heard something moving next to me. He must have been rearranging the things on the nightstand.

"Do you want me to take her old tray?" Alice asked. "You know I won't hurt her."

"Alice," he growled. I was right. It was Alice.

"Oh, please, let me visit with her, Edward. I just want to talk to her."

"No!" he snapped.

"Fine, I'll just get the tray." I heard her footsteps approach and a low rumbling that I had come to know as Edward's growl. I opened my eyes and smiled at Alice.

"Good morning, Alice," I said smiling.

She waved to me and giggled, then turned to Edward and stuck out her tongue.

He rolled his eyes in response.

Once she was out, he set the tray on my lap. "You really shouldn't encourage her, you'll regret it later," he said softly as if he didn't really want me to hear his words.

"I think I'll decide that for myself," I said and picked up my toast, taking a big bite of it to show my attitude.

He looked at me surprised and then laughed to himself. He took his place in the chair across the room watching me eat. He had a little smirk on his lips and it was hard not to smile to myself when I saw it. I tried to focus on my food to hide it. I wasn't sure if I wanted to make friends with Edward.

When I finally finished my meal, he spoke. "How do you feel today? Better?"

I nodded yes. "Is there somewhere I can shower?"

His eyes widened in shock and then he swallowed hard, shaking his head. I waited for an answer, sitting up a little more, causing my blanket to slide down. I must have been out of it because I just now realized I was wearing a nightgown and not my clothes. I almost laughed as Edward averted his eyes.

I looked down to see how improper I was being but it was just a flannel night gown. There was nothing revealing about it at all. "Is there a shower?" I asked again.

He jumped up and moved to the door. His back was to me when he answered. "Through there," he pointed to a door and disappeared through the bedroom doors.

The bathroom was amazing. The shower was heaven. My body was sore and ached but the thirty six spray nozzles worked out the sore muscles. I must have been in the shower for over an hour when I finally stepped out. I felt good and stretched, groaning in relief. This bathroom was heaven compared to the black hole that was considered my bathroom at my little apartment. I swear there were living things on the shower walls that just would not come off with any kind of cleanser. This bathroom was a nice change and the way Edward reacted to me made me feel safe. I knew he wouldn't hurt me that way. In fact, I suspected he wouldn't let anyone near enough to hurt me that way. Even if I was taken against my will I still knew I was safe. Well, sort of. I still didn't know what the whole deal was with Edward. He was weird.

I wrapped my body in a huge thick bath sheet and used a smaller towel to wrap my hair. I remembered Alice pointed out a closet to me the day before and walked into the room.

I was met with a sudden gasp and a smug Alice saying 'told you so'. Edward suddenly disappeared and Alice was laughing. "Come on, Isabella, come get dressed. We're shopping today!" she said in a sing song voice. I had to admit her excitement was infectious. I was not a shopping fan but I figured I could use a few new things.

"Will Edward be joining us?" I asked.

She looked over to the door and giggled, "If you want him to."

"Huh, I just assumed he would since I was his," I stated making an observation.

Alice's eyes widened and she turned looking at the door. "It's probably not a good idea to encourage him, Isabella."

"Everyone else does," I stated, because it was true. I didn't want to upset him, either.

"Yes, well, he's settled down a bit. He finds you interesting now so you're pretty safe."

"Pretty safe?" I asked curious what she meant by that, but she didn't elaborate.

I dressed and Alice led me down to a study. I didn't understand how we would "shop" here but she pushed a button on the corner of the desk and a computer keyboard popped up and the wall flipped over revealing a huge wall sized monitor.

She quickly pulled up a website and started picking out different clothes. "What do you think of this one, Isabella?"

I looked at the blue satin gown and then looked back at Alice. "Alice, where on earth would I wear that dress?"

Alice just smiled and added it to the virtual cart.

I just rolled my eyes. There really was no stopping her. "Call me Bella please, Isabella is just weird."

"Of course, Bella," she said giving me a hug. "I just know we're going to be great friends!"

I was sure I had Stockholm syndrome when it came to Alice. She was hard not to love, even if she was one of my kidnappers. The strange thing was everyone was so nice and trying hard to make me feel comfortable. I was even starting to find crazy Edward interesting.

Edward joined us timidly. He brought me a snack and I wondered what on earth everyone else ate because I had yet to see them eat anything.

He watched as I dipped the apple slices in the caramel sauce and smiled when I hummed in delight. I loved caramel.

"You like it?" he asked.

I smiled and nodded my head yes as my mouth was too full to answer.

"Would you like more, I can get more," he said eagerly pointing to the door.

I giggled and shook my head no and swallowed my bite. "No, this is plenty, Edward. Thank you very much for thinking of me."

He nodded his head in response and went to go sit in the corner and watch me, as seemed to be part of his routine. It was odd that he seemed so eager to please me and yet scared of me at the same time. He would sit in the room I was in but not try to engage me and when he did he was so…weird, almost shy. I didn't understand him. I had never met anyone like Edward. He was intriguing to say the least.

Alice had picked out way more clothes than I would ever need. I tried to stop her but she would just giggle in return and keep adding more to the virtual cart. I had a sneaking suspicion she was a shopaholic.

She smiled widely at Edward. "Now, Bella, it's time to buy you some lingerie."

"What?" I gasped. I noticed Edward stiffened out of the corner of my eye.

"What do you mean _**what**__? _You need bras and panties and, well, under thing. You want silky sleep clothes, too, don't you?"

Edward quickly left the room, as he seemed truly agitated by the words 'bras and panties'. I held back a giggle as I watched him flee.

Once he was gone I mock glared at Alice. "That wasn't very nice. I've only known Edward a little while and even I know women's underwear makes him uncomfortable."

"You noticed that, did you?" she said with a smirk and then shrugged. "The boy has got to warm up to women one of these days."

"How old is Edward?" I asked

She looked at me and then shook her head. "He's not a boy, if that's what you think. Well, I suppose on some level he is just a boy of seventeen, but in other ways he's much older."

I assumed she meant he was more mature because of life experiences. It seemed like his odd behavior could be described as someone who'd had a rough life and wasn't all that stable. For some reason he seemed to be connected to me. It was hard not to feel a little sorry for him. Especially since his sister seemed to enjoy teasing him.

"Alice, will I ever be able to go home?" I asked

She frowned. "I don't see it yet, but it doesn't mean never. I'm sure we'll find a way to send you home, I promise. Just think of your time here as a sort of vacation? Is there someone you'd like to send a letter to, you know, maybe let them know you're okay?"

It was an odd offer and I would have taken her up on it but really, I didn't have anyone to contact. I wasn't that social and kept to myself mostly.

"Um, well, not really." I didn't really keep in touch with my parents and if I sent them a letter out of the blue they would get suspicious. "Maybe around Christmas I can send cards?" I asked feeling kind of lame.

"Isn't there anyone at home worrying about you? We can let you contact them and let them know you're okay. That you're well taken care of and hopefully having some fun?" Alice asked with a bit of begging in her eyes.

"There isn't anyone to worry or tell about how much fun I'm having," I answered sadly.

She pouted at me and hugged me. "Well, you have people that will worry about you now," she smiled at me.

Yes, I definitely had Stockholm syndrome. Alice was too sweet not to love. It was impossible to think of her as a kidnapper.

Then I did remember the most important person in my life, or most important kitten in my life. "My baby! Oh, heavens, she's been all alone in the apartment. I'll bet she's starving! I have to get her, Alice."

"Your baby?" she asked completely shocked.

"My kitten, Mittens! Please, Alice," I begged.

"Let's go!" she said not even pausing to shut down the computer. She was moving very quickly and smoothly out of the room, weaving down the hall. I could barely keep up with her pace when suddenly something hard slammed into us.

I grunted in pain and felt the familiar hard stone encase me. "Mine," Edward had growled.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, but yours there has a kitten that's been unattended to for almost three days. We need to save it if you want yours to ever speak to you again."

I looked up into Edward's burgundy eyes. "Please, Mittens is just a baby."

His hold on me loosened and his expression softened. "Fine, but I'm coming with you."

"Fine, let's go!" Alice snapped.

A/N: Many of you are asking for EPOV. I'll do my best to work him in. Stay tuned! Thanks for reading and please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**All Characters belong to Stephenie Meyers and Dollybigmomma is my beta genius.**

**Chapter 4 Mittens**

**BPOV **

Alice was flying down the road at record breaking speeds when I realized I hadn't told her where I lived yet. I started telling her my address and she just nodded her head and insisted she knew where it was.

When we pulled up in front of my apartment building my landlord came out and looked a bit relieved.

"Ms. Swan, I was worried something happened to you when you disappeared. Poor Mittens was meowing up a storm. I hope you don't mind but I let myself in and fed her."

"No, not at all, thank you so much. I had a little bit of an accident and was indisposed for a couple days."

"Oh, heavens! Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. My friends, Alice and Edward, want me to come stay with them, though, so they can keep an eye on me. I had just remembered Mittens and insisted we come get her."

"Well, I'm glad there's someone to look after you."

Edward was standing annoyingly close, his front was pressed against my back and his nose was in my hair. I could hear a low growl eminating from him. I think Alice picked up on this, as she told Edward to go get Mittens from my apartment.

"Bella is going to be moving in with us, but I know she probably has a lease and we wanted to make sure it was settled before she goes. We really don't want to put you out or anything by taking her," Alice said smiling sickly sweet.

There was a loud thud then a crash then a bang and another crash.

Alice was trying to act as if nothing was going on and I was with my landlord, wondering what the hell Edward was doing with my kitten, Mittens. She was usually very friendly.

Alice raised her voice to speak over the crashing and banging going on in my apartment. "So, how long is left on her lease?"

"Three months," the landlord answered without looking at Alice.

Our eyes were fixed on my door as we listened to the kitten screech and another crash and bang.

Alice pulled out a checkbook and quickly wrote a check out and handed it to the land lord. "That should cover it and hopefully any repairs that may need to be done.

Alice passed the check to the land lord and then grabbed my hand pulling me quickly to the door. She shoved me into the apartment. "Do me a favor, Bella, and don't try and catch the cat. It doesn't end well."

I looked at her confused and I could hear Edward trying to coax the kitten out of a hiding place in the back of the apartment. "Here kitty kitty, come on, please. I promise I'm not going to eat you. Just please, come here."

I could hear the kitten hiss in return.

We heard things slamming around and suddenly the kitten came running out and sprang up the curtains. Edward dove after her, crashing into the wall and knocking all the pictures down, leaving a big hole there in the sheetrock.

I walked over and grabbed my kitten off the curtains and curled her up in a ball, holding her close to my chest so she would feel safe. "Shhh, baby, I got you." She was still hissing at Edward. "Not a cat person?" I asked

He just pouted.

"How hard is it to catch a freaking kitten, Edward?" Alice snapped

"A lot harder than you think! You want it alive, don't you? That makes it all the more difficult. If it were a mountain lion, sure, fine. I could do that with one pounce but you can't pounce on a kitten," he said pointing wearily at Mittens. "I didn't want to squish it!" He looked so flustered and upset it was adorable.

"Oh, Edward, why don't you come here and try and make friends with her."

"Bella, NO!" Alice screamed as Edward took a step toward me.

She jumped on Edward, pinning him do the ground. I didn't understand what her problem was.

"Hold your breath! Hold your breath! Damn it, Edward, DON'T BREATHE!" Alice screamed at him. "Bella, get out of here. Just take the car and drive home. We'll meet you there."

I grabbed the keys from Alice's purse and wearily made my way to the car. I didn't know what had happened but I figured I could ask later.

I realized I had no idea where I was going and if I wanted to get away, this was my chance. I had been just driving in the general direction, trying to make up my mind whether or not to run when I saw Dr. Cullen pull up next to me and Esme waved for me to pull over.

"I'll drive, dear. Alice called and said Edward was being difficult," she said smiling sweetly and I wondered if she knew that I was thinking of running from them.

"That was an understatement. Alice was holding him to the ground."

"Yes, well, this is why we want to keep you close by. If he has an episode away from home and you didn't live with us we wouldn't know and couldn't keep you safe. This way we can make sure you're safe."

"Episode?"

"Don't worry, dear, Carlisle believes that he'll most likely get over it with time," she reached over and patted my hand.

I noticed Mittens was hissing loudly and exposing her claws at Esme in threat.

"Guess you guys aren't cat people," I grumped.

"I'm sure she'll get used to us in time," Esme smiled at us. "But maybe you wouldn't mind getting her declawed? We could send her to the vet for a checkup and maybe have her fixed as well."

I let out a sigh and picked up Mittens to look closer at her. Her claws dug deep into my flesh, still in fear of Esme.

"I think it would be beneficial to everyone so we could get to know her better." Esme reached a hand towards Mittens and Mittens went nuts trying to scratch the hell out of her but getting me instead. I finally dropped the cat, which quickly ran under the seat.

"I see your point." She was right. Mittens seemed to be terrified of Alice's family.

Esme pulled up to a little veterinarian clinic and went in to tell them what the kitten needed. Truth was, I found her out by the dumpsters and she hadn't had any sort of shots. It would probably be a good idea to get it done.

When I walked in I heard Esme speaking with the lady at the front desk. "Yes, everything a kitten could need; any preventive procedures, and shots as well as the fixing and declawing, please."

"Ma'am, we frown on declawing," the receptionist said but as I walked in and got closer to Esme the kitten started hissing again.

"Is it feral?" the receptionist asked.

"Well, I found her by my apartment dumpster. She's usually better behaved; she's just had an exciting day, I think," I said trying to hand Mittens to the lady, but she wouldn't take her once she saw how scratched up my arms were.

"Just bring her back here, ma'am, and put her in the cage for us," she said leading me back.

Esme waited out front and Mittens seemed to settle down quite a bit. I curled her into a ball, kissing her softly as I rubbed her fat fury belly.

The lady pulled out a few things. "You mind if I examine her while you hold her?"

I shifted her body and let her look at Mittens. "She seems in a much better mood now."

"Yes, I guess she just has little episodes of naughtiness but she's usually really sweet." I realized I had used the same word as Esme.

"Well, I guess I can see how it could be beneficial for her to be declawed. She'll be an inside only cat, correct? There are no other felines she'll have to compete with?"

"No, it's just her. She's my baby," I said smiling.

"Alright. Just know I don't feel good about this but from looking at your arms, I guess I'd have to say I understand the need."

A/N I was going to put and EPOV in but my computer crashed. Thankfully my Beta had my orignal doc that didn't include EPOV. So you got this chapter. I hope the cat chase made you smile. I will do EPOV tomorrow. Thank heavens my husband is a computer guy and promised he would fix it tonight. Thanks for reading please review.


	5. Chapter 5

**All Characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is the beta master!**

**Chapter 5 – A Change of Focus**

**Epov**

Blood.

I needed her blood, NOW!

That was my first thoughts when I encountered Isabella Swan. She smelled so delicious, better than anything I had ever smelled, and I had to have her. I was so focused on getting to her that I didn't notice Rosalie standing next to her. Thank heavens she was able to stop me. She grabbed me and Carlisle helped pull me back from my insanity.

He thought it best if I tried to desensitize myself to her smell, since it looked like she was going to be with us for a while. Jasper and Emmett stood stoically, holding me outside her room right under an outgoing vent that was installed to keep the door from slamming. Her scent assaulted me, washing over me, filling me and driving me mad.

I struggled until Emmett practically ripped one of my arms off, but he did not let me go. I was so mad, I could not think clearly enough to get away from them to get to my sweet delicious treat.

Neither fully understood why I couldn't just have her since I wanted her so badly, but Carlisle was adamant that I would not slip up. He had such faith in me and after hours of his mind reassuring me I could do it, I finally got hold of myself.

I calmed down and did what we were taught to do. I tried to get to know her by reading her mind so I could form some sort of bond with her, making me want to spare her. Of course, Isabella being Isabella, she was silent. I could not read her mind at all.

This girl was just asking to be eaten.

When she awoke, Alice was talking with her. The girl made no sense in her reactions to my family. We had basically kidnapped her and she was just letting my sister chat her up like nothing was wrong.

Esme walked in and when the doors opened and I could see her, the monster in me raged again. I wanted to pounce on the silent girl and eat her now!

Jasper pushed a wave of calm over me and Emmett tightened his grip again. "Come on, man, you need to chill out already."

Carlisle walked in and I listened as he spoke to her.

She amazed me and confounded me. She stayed calm and polite as she dealt with my family. Most humans felt uneasy when we were near but she was calm while being surrounded by us. I focused on her heartbeat, trying to calm myself.

The soft, tame heartbeat of the sweet relaxed girl who was making friends with my family grounded me. I could not eat her. I could hear Alice's disappointment when she was told she could not spend the day with her. I could not kill one of Alice's friends. I wished that I could read Isabella's mind. I wanted her to love Alice back but there was no way to know for sure.

Carlisle left and smiled at me, patting me on the shoulder when I didn't try and attack when he opened the door. He was right; I was getting better. I just had to focus on the love my family had for her. Rose had saved her and would be pissed if I killed her as well. No one wanted to be on Rose's bad side. She had a tendency to hold a grudge for decades.

Suddenly, I heard the girl's heart rate spike. Was she under attack? If anyone was going to eat her, it would be ME! I burst through the door, snatching her into my arms.

"She's mine!" I growled, "You're not to touch her!"

Esme stood up slowly as if approaching a wild animal. "I wasn't going to hurt her, Edward."

"You scared her! I heard her heartbeat start to race. She's mine!" I growled pulling her closer, protecting my prey.

Isabella squeaked in pain.

"Edward, I had just told her she couldn't go home. Of course she was upset. She's fine, she's safe."

"She's mine," I insisted. If anyone was going to eat her it would be ME!

"Yes, she's yours; now let her get some rest. She's still not feeling well," Esme coaxed.

I had to pull myself together or this girl would not survive. I tried to settle down and hold my breath. I loosened my grip so at least she would not feel so compressed under my restraint. If I broke blood vessels and bruised her, then the blood would not flow freely when I drank from her.

That was the logic I used to calm the monster inside of me.

"Put her in the bed, Son," Esme said, opening the door to the hall.

Emmett and Jasper were standing there looking worried but ready to subdue me. Emmett's thoughts were of how pissed his wife was going to be and Jasper's were of how disappointed Alice would be if I killed the girl who she was already thinking of as a friend.

I carefully put Isabella on the bed, trying to calm her and myself at the same time, but it didn't seem to be working. When she looked at me, she gasped in fright, which caused her heart to race again.

It was then that I realized my usually golden eyes would be red right now. Carlisle had been feeding me a few pints from the blood bank to help my hunger and strengthen my resolve to resist attacking Isabella. I had to admit, it was easier to resist her while I was sated.

Her heart raced and I swore I could almost see it pounding through her shirt. I placed my hand over it, curious to see if I could feel it as well. Her blood was pumping so hard and fast it was starting to become distracting. "Isabella, please, you must settle down, you're making this difficult for me."

She struggled to catch her breath as I touched her chest. I watched her eyes for a moment and wondered what it was I was suddenly feeling. There was an odd pull to this girl. I wanted her, but I didn't understand exactly how or why.

She finally started to settle down when Esme spoke again, "She needs to take her pills."

I nodded and grabbed the pills, focusing on the bottle in my hand and the number of pills I was taking out. I needed to focus on something, anything other than the girl.

I handed her the pills and it was then that I realized she had calmed. I looked at her surprised. I had red eyes and had attacked her, yanking her from bed and now she was sitting there coolly taking pills from my hand. I handed her the glass of water from the nightstand and watched her take her pills. She looked tired. I noticed her flinch a little as she tipped her head back. She was still in pain.

"Thank you," she whispered and it sounded sincere. She was thanking me. This girl must be insane. How could such a creature so vulnerable be thankful to her predator? She was kind, too kind. I could tell she was being much too tolerant of me. I didn't deserve it.

"You need your rest," I told her, knowing the pills would knock her out.

I decided right then that I would be her protector while she was here. If anyone slipped up, it would be her death and I would not have anyone else spill her blood. If I couldn't, no one could, either.

I exiled myself to a chair in the corner of the room and hid my face from her, ashamed of my red eyes. They were proof of my weakness.

Esme took a step towards me, coming into the room again. _'Do you want me to stay with her, Edward?'_ Esme thought to me.

"No, she's fine, leave her be. I'll just watch over her while she rests." I could hear her worried thoughts about me staying in the room, but I ignored her, determined to stay.

Esme looked torn and then Alice nodded yes to her, she could see that I needed to stay. I would be able to resist her in the morning without trouble. I would be able to act almost normal around her soon. Esme nodded and closed the door, leaving us. I had resigned myself to a silent night of worried thoughts from my family when the girl spoke.

"You're Edward, right?" she asked.

Somehow, in all my insanity she had picked up my name. She knew who her real captor was. "Yes, I'm sorry," I said apologizing for taking her away from her life. I went back to hiding from her until she was asleep.

Her heartbeat was slow and comforting. It reminded me of the rocking of a chair when a mother was lulling a baby to sleep. Just soft and constant. Quiet and pure in its own beauty. Before I even realized it, I was lying next to her on the bed. The covers were pulled up to her chin so I knew I would not chill her. My hand rested on her heart feeling the soft thrum of life in the girl. I watched her sleep the whole night, listening to her mumble and watching her smile, wishing she would tell me what she was dreaming about.

Her breath was soft and sweet and it was hard not to lean over her to inhale her deeply. I looked up at her eyes to make sure she was not waking. Her dark lashes were beautiful against her pinked cheeks. Her dark hair framed her beautiful pale face and it was then I realized I was thinking of her as beautiful.

In all of my hundred years I had never thought of a girl as beautiful. I felt my body tingle as I ran my hand along her cheek. She amazed me. She sighed and leaned into my touch as if she was seeking it out. This sweet little girl was letting her Grim Reaper hold her face in his hands and it made my dead heart ache. So sweet, so trusting, so kind. She did not deserve any of this. I was such a cad for sneaking into her bed. I instantly felt guilty and quickly banished myself to the far side of the room.

I heard a light tap on the door. I knew it was Esme. She wanted to change Bella into something more comfortable. She had brought a flannel nightgown for her. I worried that she would wake but she let me know that Alice had assured her that Isabella would sleep through it. I didn't want her to be uncomfortable but I didn't want to let Esme in. I knew there was no way I could possibly do it so I finally caved and stepped into the hallway after I warned Esme that I was listening to Isabella's heart and would be in the room the moment her heartbeat changed.

Esme kissed my cheek, ignoring my warning. Alice was right, as always, Isabella didn't even stir. Esme had tucked Isabella back in, making sure she was warm and then smiled at me. "Would you like another pint?" she asked with her mind.

I inhaled, testing the burn. It was there but not calling to me as badly. "Just some carnivore, if you have it. I don't want my eyes to stay this way. I can't stand it."

She patted my shoulder, nodded her head yes and slipped out.

Esme returned with a thermos of mountain lion. She knew it was my favorite. I drank it down and then immediately felt disgusted with myself for drinking the blood in front of Isabella. What if she had woken up, she would have been disgusted with me and never spoken to me again. For some reason I found that thought upsetting. I wanted Isabella to talk to me again like she did last night. I wanted her to tell me what was going on in that head of hers.

I didn't know how much time had passed but I could hear her heartbeat change. I thought she was awake but she continued to lie so still. Her fingers twitched but she had yet to move and wake fully for the day. I was getting impatient.

Alice came to the door, bringing Isabella's breakfast, but I didn't want her to stay. If Isabella was going to speak to someone, I wanted it to be me.

I brought her food to the nightstand, hoping the smell would coax her up, but it was Alice that she woke for. I couldn't help but feel jealous.

Jealousy?

That was a foreign feeling to me but I was pretty sure that was what I felt when Isabella chose to speak with Alice and not me.

"You really shouldn't encourage her, you'll regret it later," I warned her trying to put her off of Alice.

"I think I'll decide that for myself," she said and picked up her toast, taking a big bite of it with attitude.

I couldn't help but chuckle at her. She had the nerve to try and stand up to me, her own Grim Reaper, and showed no fear whatsoever. I had seen lion cubs look fiercer than her. She was just too adorable.

Adorable? My heavens, I was going nuts! First I thought she was beautiful, then I was jealous, and now she was adorable to me. I couldn't help but smile as she ate. I could see the small smile of triumph on her face, even though she tried to hide it. She looked beautiful smiling. I would have to find a way to get her to smile again. I needed to find a way to make her speak to me again.

I tried to think of ways to strike up a conversation. 'How's the weather?' No, she hadn't even been outside for days now, she wouldn't even know. 'How's the food?' No, too risky, she might ask me what I liked and that would be too difficult to explain. 'How are you feeling?'

Yes, that might just work. I tried to work up the courage to say something, but she kept putting food in her mouth. I had heard Irina say it wasn't polite to speak with your mouth full so I decided to wait until she was done eating.

"How do you feel today? Better?" I asked trying not to sound too eager.

I was disappointed when she only nodded her head yes. I wanted her to speak. I think I may have even pouted a little.

Then I heard it, her voice was soft and light and made me thinking of spring. I had no idea why, it just did.

"Is there somewhere I can shower?"

Then I realized what she had asked. She wanted to shower. She wanted to get out from under her covers and go into the shower, which I assumed would probably mean she would undress further.

I had no idea if I answered her or not. I must not have because she suddenly sat up. Okay, not so suddenly, but it felt like it. One minute she was covered and the next, there she was in all her flannel glory. It was clearly obvious that she wasn't wearing a bra. I quickly looked away, ashamed for even thinking that.

"Is there a shower?" she asked again.

I must not have answered her. I was too busy making a fool of myself. I had to get out of there before I offended her. I quickly moved to the door and let her know where the shower was. I was sure Alice had stocked it with everything she would need. There was no need to stick around.

I stood outside the door waiting for when the shower would turn off and her clothes would go back on. She needed to be dressed if I was ever going to get two words out that made any sense.

Alice came strutting up with little Violet in her arms. Violet was Alice's daughter. Well, sort of. She was the daughter of Jasper. Kate had been inseminated so that Alice could have a little girl and so she had Violet.

Violet loved me.

I am not bragging, it is just a fact. I could see Violet wanting me to take her and before she even got into a reasonable reaching range, she jumped from her mother's arms into mine. I caught her and smiled when she hugged me and kissed my cheek.

"Hey, pretty girl, how are you today?" I asked.

Violet didn't really talk. She was too young still, but for a two year old her mind was very advanced. She smiled as she thought of having a tea party with me, and if it were any other day I would have readily joined her and even wore the lacy hat and feather boa she always insisted on.

Hey, don't knock the boa.

I rocked the boa.

"Not today, pretty girl, we have company," I said.

"He'll take you for a snack in a minute," Alice informed her and I wanted to tell her she was wrong. I didn't plan on leaving Isabella at any point while she was with us.

I could see that Alice wasn't budging. She told little Violet to wait in the hall and that I would be out in a minute. I didn't want Alice to hog Isabella. I hadn't had a chance to even talk with her yet.

We heard the bathroom door open and I was shocked by what I saw.

Bella was in a towel; in a TOWEL, I tell you.

That was all she was wearing.

Her skin smelled heavenly and she had a beautiful light blush on her face. I realized I was staring at her and did my best to look everywhere but at her, but there was no way around it. I quickly forced myself into the hallway where Violet was waiting. She reached up and took my hand smiling. I couldn't help but smile back and relax a little.

At least Violet loved me.

A/N we will get more EPOV in the next chappy as well so sit tight I am working on it. Thanks for reading please review.


	6. Chapter 6 pretty kitty

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my Beta lover. She helped me out with the cat scenes and the funny because she rocks like that.**

**Chapter 6 – Pretty Kitty**

**Epov**

As I walked with little Violet to the kitchen I listened carefully to Alice and Bella's conversation. My heart soared a little when she asked if I would be joining them. I decided to only have a quick snack with my niece and get back to Bella as fast as possible. She wanted me around!

I quickly chopped up some apples for Violet and she insisted she have caramel with them. She always wanted me to try it, sure that I would love it because I had to be crazy to not love caramel.

I wondered for a moment if Bella liked apple slices with caramel. I asked Violet what she thought and she insisted that Bella would love them. I wondered if it was too early for a snack as I poured some blood into a teapot for our party.

Violet's mind kept flashing to the hats and boas in her closet and she gave me a begging look. I quickly zipped out, getting them and hurried back. I really was only gone a few seconds. Anything to make little Violet smile.

She giggled as I wrapped my boa with a flourish.

"Good morning, my dearest young lady, and how are you doing this fine day?" I asked in a perfectly proper English lady's accent, causing her to giggle.

She took a little sip of her 'tea' and smiled.

She was so cute with her little pinky sticking out. She wiggled hers, reminding me to stick out mine.

God, please don't let Emmett walk in here right now. I was secure enough in my masculinity to do this confidently, but the hell I would take from Emmett was sure to last centuries. However, the thought of having Violet pout to make him join us and wear the pink sparkly tulle hat with the large pink and purple roses on the brim and the pink lace and sequined shawl with beaded fringe almost made me consider purposely getting caught. The long pearl bead necklace and huge dangly earrings she always insisted had to be worn with that particular ensemble would look positively smashing on Emmett's large, pudgy ears and linebacker neck.

Once tea was finished I took little Violet to Jasper. He smiled when he saw my hat and boa. "You're looking pretty today, Edward. Dressing up for Isabella?" he asked teasingly.

"You're just jealous because I look good in a boa and hat and you don't." Violet nodded her head in agreement with me, causing us to laugh. I kissed the little girl on the cheek and rushed off to the kitchen.

I fixed a plate of apples and caramel, curious to see if Bella would actually like them. Violet was sure everyone would love them so I thought I would give it a try.

I was not disappointed.

Bella closed her eyes and moaned in pleasure as she ate them. She definitely liked the caramel. I wondered if it was a favorite food of hers as well. I wanted to ask her but Alice distracted her by showing her some more clothes.

I sat back and watched as Bella did her best to slow Alice down. Little did she know, that was impossible. Alice liked to do things for other people and since Bella needed some clothing while she stayed with us, Alice was making sure she had plenty.

Alice asked me to step out, that she wanted to speak with Bella alone, but I didn't want to leave. If anyone was going to talk with Bella alone it would be ME! For heaven sake, why was it so hard to have a conversation with a girl?

Alice, the evil pixie she was, quickly got her way by embarrassing both Bella and I by announcing it was time to buy women's under things. Freaking PIXIE!

I had to move to the far side of the house so I wouldn't hear what they were discussing. Some things were just inappropriate for a gentleman to hear.

I stepped out into the garden. It was an overcast day of course which was normal weather for Forks. We lived here for that reason.

Esme was talking with Irina. They were expecting a new baby soon. I was going to walk over to see how they were doing when Tanya cut me off.

"Edward, it's so nice to see that you're out and about. Esme had told us you weren't feeling well," she said with false concern. Her mind was littered with images of her telling me she was pregnant.

Carlisle had employed a family of four sisters that had nowhere to go and were on the verge of homelessness. Each couple chose a woman to be a surrogate. Tanya was left for me but I had no interest in procreating just yet. The women of my family all wanted children badly but I had no such woman to motivate or help take care of any offspring, so Tanya was left to her own devices.

I just nodded in her general direction and decided to go back to hiding from her. I really wanted nothing to do with her.

Just as I stepped into the house I heard the rushed footsteps of Alice and the stumbling ones of Bella.

SHE CAN'T HAVE HER! She's MINE! I didn't know what Alice was doing with my girl but I would not stand for it. I quickly caught Bella in my arms, stopping her escape. She would not be going anywhere!

Alice let me know that Bella had a pet and that if we wanted her to be happy about staying with us we needed to go get it. I went with them to make sure Bella was returned safely.

The landlord seemed nice but was suspicious of us. I didn't want anyone taking my Bella from me. She was mine. I wanted to grab her and run. Alice kept warning me to settle down in her mind. She didn't want me making a scene.

She sent me after the kitten, trying to get rid of me and promised to bring Bella with her shortly.

I walked into her little apartment. I didn't know what I expected but it wasn't what I saw. Although it was clean, she only had a worn, broken down old chair and a ratty old pressboard bookcase. There was a lamp that looked like it had been rescued from a dumpster sitting on a rickety little table next to the chair, and that was it.

"Here kitty kitty," I called in my friendliest voice. I walked over to the area that was called her kitchen. It was a small sink, a tiny refrigerator, and a microwave. It looked like she had a two burner stovetop, but it was missing all the knobs. There was a small strip of counter between the stove and the sink. Of course the whole area was taken up by the microwave.

How could she live like this?

"Kitty?" I called and began to wonder if this was just a ploy to try and get away from us. I closed my eyes and focused my senses. I heard the thrumming of a little heartbeat. It was coming from under the chair.

"Here, kitty kitty," I called and looked under the chair. The demon cat lunged at me, hitting me in the face, smacking me in the eyes. I flung the chair back in shock. That little cat had spirit.

It ran toward the kitchen, hissing and spitting madly the whole way, and I zipped after it only to realize I could not pounce on this little creature or Bella would be upset. I quickly diverted my body, slamming into the one little cabinet she called a kitchen.

What few pots and pans she had exploded all over the place and I swore I heard the little demon cat laughing as it poofed up to twice its original size and arched it's back, shooting up on tippy toes and crab walking sideways back and forth as it spat furiously at me.

I don't know how, but it shot to the top of the bookcase. As soon as I approached the tiny creature it began growling and caterwauling loudly at me, standing up on its haunches as it threw both paws in the air trying to strike a menacing pose and ready itself to attack.

"I'm not going to eat you. I promise. Just come down," I said walking slowly up to the bookcase. The kitten backed against the wall hissing loudly in warning. I jumped, grabbing the edge of the bookcase and the kitten hissed and spat, scratching at my hand and then jumped onto my head, leaving a trail of rancid urine and something greasy and foul smelling from the glands next to its anus across the bridge of my nose as it shot through my hands. I reached out trying to catch the little monster in mid air but just missed it as I realized the bookcase was tipping over and I was falling along with it.

When I climbed out from under the bookcase, I looked over at the kitten sitting up on the back of the knocked over chair hissing and spitting at me. I moved to get up and it shot like a bat out of hell into the bedroom.

The kitten was sitting on top of the old dresser in Bella's bedroom, but lunged for the bathroom when I entered the room, and I lunged after it. I may have lunged a little too hard as I ending up smashing through the bathroom cabinet and shattering the toilet. I didn't expect the bathroom to be so small.

I looked down at myself to find I was covered in feminine products and suppressed a girly squeal of disgusted.

Thank god they weren't used, but just yuck. I didn't want them on me anywhere. I stood up and saw myself in the mirror. Turns out I had something shiny all over my face. Some sort of glittery make up had exploded on impact. I had thought the sun was shining on me but I was not so lucky. However, the blush and eyes shadow compacts I had crashed into left me looking like a circus clown with hiccups.

I quickly dusted myself off and listened for the kitten again.

It was under the dresser now. "Here, little demon spawn, come on, little monster, I won't hurt you," I called, mostly telling the truth. I had to be careful when I grabbed the kitten. I didn't want to squish it. Who would have thought catching such a small creature could be so much trouble!

I went to reach for the cat just as it darted out. My arm hit the bottom of the dresser knocking it off balance, causing the damn thing to fall over on me. I think the little demon planned this.

I tried to shove the dresser off of me but pushed too hard in my frustration, causing the damn thing to explode on impact against the wall, leaving a hole. Suddenly, underwear was flying through the air.

I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want Bella to think I was going through her underwear. I looked around the room that was now covered in her under things. If I could blush I would.

I grabbed the broken dresser and tried to shove it somewhat together, leaning it into the corner of the room. I quickly gathered up her girl things, feeling ashamed for touching her private delicates and tried to stuff them into the makeshift dresser that was falling apart before she came in.

The kitten ran under the bed. It was only a twin. I should have been able to get it no problem. I called out to the little creature sweetly because I knew my Bella was listening now.

Apparently, little demon spawn knew Bella was here as well.

Alice's thoughts were clear. I was not to let Bella catch the kitten or I would regret it. I lunged under her bed after it, but the little sucker took off into the front room again. I shoved the broken bed frame off of me and went after the cat. I would get the little monster before Bella could. I was sure I would get it now when I realized it was hanging on a curtain in front of a window. However, the last thing I needed to do was go flying out the second story window, squishing the cat and causing a scene. I diverted again, hitting the wall and causing the remaining pictures to fall and the window the crack. I pulled myself out of the hole in the sheetrock only to see Bella walk up to the kitten and pick it off the curtains with ease.

Show off.

Alice had the nerve to get on my case about not being able to catch a little kitten. I would like to see her try and catch the little spastic hairball.

I looked at Bella holding the little demon. It was curled into an innocent, tiny little furry ball and purred as Bella snuggled it. Why did everyone get her attention except me?

She called me forward to meet her cat but just as I stepped forward. I smelled it. Alice was on me like lightening, thank god, and I did my best to hold my breath and let Alice hold me down.

Bella hadn't even noticed that the cat had scratched her.

She quickly made her way out of the apartment and I panicked a little as soon as she was out of site. I didn't want her to go but I knew she couldn't stay.

Alice had me pull my phone out and call Carlisle. She told them where to intercept Bella and then we waited. She wouldn't let me up until she knew Esme and Carlisle had her. Once she was sure, we jumped out of the back window and took off down the back alley. We would be running home. Damn it!

A/N So our Edward has pretty much caught up with BPOV, which do you prefer and or would you like it mix? Let me know. Thank for reading please review.


	7. Chapter 7

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**And Dollybigmomma is the beta love of my life.**

**Chapter 7 – Friends**

**Epov**

I wanted to see Bella, but Carlisle said I should wait. He had just finished bandaging her arms and it would be a couple of days until she was healed. I didn't want to wait, but was unsure about my control. I needed to see her. I don't know why but I just didn't feel right inside when she wasn't near me.

I was sure if I said that out loud to anyone they would see me as insane. I was feeling a little insane. I needed to be by Isabella.

Jasper and Emmett agreed to accompany me after I begged Carlisle for the blood bank stuff, insisting that I must apologize to her for my terrible behavior.

I slipped some sunglasses on and nodded to the pair once I was fully fed. I took a deep breath of fresh air and nodded for them to take my arms.

Emmett knocked on the door, making it shake.

"Who is it?" Bella asked a little nervously. I wanted to kick Emmett for banging so hard, making her nervous.

"It's me, Emmett, Rosie's husband, Jasper, Alice's husband and Edward, the loner," Emmett called in a jolly tone.

Bella opened the door smiling but frowned when she saw I was restrained. "What are you guys doing to poor Edward? Why does everyone feel the need to pick on the poor boy?" she asked a little irritated, looking from Emmett to Jasper.

Emmett smiled and let out a laugh. "He's our baby brother, if we didn't harass him no one would." He pinched my cheek and I wished my arms were free so I could smack him.

"Anyway," Emmett went on. "Edward wanted to apologize for being a douche bag at your apartment."

If I could blush I would have.

What I didn't expect was Bella's reaction.

**Bpov**

I thought the door was going to be knocked off its hinges the way Emmett banged on it. I was not happy with the sight I saw. Jasper and Emmett were holding Edward in place. I hated that his big brothers were picking on him.

Picking on Edward seemed to be everyone's favorite past time and it was ticking me off.

Emmett, being the bigger big brother, and Jasper, well, he was the same size as Edward, but with the both of them on him I knew he couldn't get away from them.

I looked at Edward and he looked rather distraught. Emmett said he wanted to apologize for his behavior but I didn't want a forced apology. Besides, one wasn't needed. Edward really hadn't done anything to me.

In fact, he let tiny little Alice restrain him so I could get away from him. He was an odd boy but he had never done anything to hurt or disrespect me.

I actually found his timid nature rather sweet.

I walked up to Edward. He was wearing dark glasses and I was worried that he was trying to hide damage his brothers had done to him. I took the glasses off his face but his eyes were closed.

"Edward?" I spoke his name gently to let him know I was not upset with him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

I ran my hand down his cheek and his face looked pained. I wanted the boys to let him go. They needed to leave him alone. I felt protective of Edward. He was so young and innocent. Someone needed to look out for him.

"Let him go!" I demanded. I got right in Emmett's face and his eyes were wide with shock. "You let him go right now, you big bully, or I'll kick you where the sun don't shine!"

Emmett crossed his legs and moved behind Edward a little. "Sorry, Bellarina, I can't do that, it's not safe."

"Don't give me that safe crap," I said getting in his face. "You need to leave your brother alone and pick on someone your own size, you big bully!" I said pushing on his chest but he didn't budge. Emmett was built like a rock.

Emmett shot a panicked look at Jasper who just nodded yes.

I suddenly started to feel sleepy.

I yawned but was still awake enough to say my piece. "You two better watch out. If I see either of you picking on my boy again I'll kick your asses myself!"

Edward's red eyes shot open, looking at me surprised and worried. I held his gaze not flinching at the color. I had seen his eyes this color before and I wondered if that was the reason they picked on him, because his difference was so apparent. I hated people who picked on other people for being different.

"Edward," I said softly full of concern. "Would you like me to get Esme? I'm sure she would put these two in their place."

He gave me a soft crooked smiled, looking into my eyes. He looked to Jasper and they both looked to Emmett and the men released him.

I gave him a soft kiss on his cheek and he smiled and timidly looked at the floor.

Jasper let out a chuckle and punched Edward in the shoulder.

Emmett patted Edward's shoulder. "You cool, man?" he asked.

He nodded his head yes and they both looked to Jasper, who nodded and leaned back against the wall in the hallway as if he would wait for Edward outside.

I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him into my room and led him to his chair. He sat down and smiled as I took my place on the bed. "Better?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded his head yes.

"Would you like me to read to you?" I asked holding the book up that I had been reading. I knew Edward was shy and struggled to speak to me so I thought if I just read to him maybe he would get more comfortable around me.

I didn't blame him for being timid and shy, though, with siblings like his always teasing him. I would be shy, too. I felt the need to befriend him and show him that there was more to life than being teased.

There was something called a friend and I would be his first.

A/N Thanks for reading please review.


	8. Chapter 8

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta genius. **

**Check out her awesomeness!**

**Chapter 8 – Shy**

**Bpov**

Edward was one of the sweetest, shyest boys I had ever met. He didn't talk much to me but I could see the way his eyes would light up when I spoke.

When he did speak, he was always asking questions. He seemed to want to know more about me.

He would ask me silly things like what was my favorite color or time of day. What was my favorite time of year or if I could live anywhere in the world where would I go.

His questions often seemed like they were just prompts to get me to talk some more. He seemed to relax at the sound of my voice. It was actually really flattering to watch how his body would go from tight and tense to reclined and relaxed.

I still noticed how he would tense when anyone else came into the room. What seemed at first to be just possessiveness seemed to also be protectiveness. It was silly, though. The boy was only seventeen.

I was almost twenty one, nearly four years his senior. If anyone was taking care of anyone else, it would be me caring for him.

Alice still seemed to think it funny to find a way to talk about underwear whenever we were all in the same room.

Edward didn't blush like I did for some reason, but I could tell by the way he would duck his head and slink out of the room that he would be blushing if he could.

For captors, the Cullen's were very kind and sweet. I was free to wander around the house but was asked to stay on the top floor, as there were others here and if they knew that I was taken it might upset them. I found it funny that Esme had asked me not to leave the second floor. There really wasn't a reason for me to leave, as the Estate itself was huge. I wondered why they had so many rooms. They were all empty.

I decided one day that since the second floor was mine that I would make use of it. I stayed mostly in the east wing of the house and the Cullen's bedrooms were all in the west.

I was bored one day and asked Edward to walk with me while I counted doors. He looked at me like I was mad.

"You want to count doors?" he asked confused as if he thought he heard me wrong.

"Yes, you see, the east wing of this place is pretty much mine so I wanted to count the doors to see what I have to play in," I explained. It made perfect sense to me.

"Bella, there are twenty four doors in the east wing," he said plainly.

I whacked his shoulder, hurting my hand. He frowned and took my hand in his, kissing my knuckles. I let out a sigh. "Well, now what am I suppose to do? You ruined my fun!"

He furrowed his brow. "Um, I could be wrong." I had a feeling he was sure but was just being nice.

I smiled and nodded my head. "Okay, then we'll count to be sure."

He nodded and I looked down the hallway, trying to decide how I wanted to count them. I knew it was silly but really, I had been reading in my room for the past six day and I wanted to move around. There was a fancy flower pattern woven into the carpet and I decided to use it to make my counting game more interesting.

"We're counting the doors going up this side of the hall and then down the other side and," I said holding up a finger in excitement, "You can only step on flowers."

He looked at me confused for a moment and then I hopped on a flower and he smiled. "Bella, are you feeling alright?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yes, just feeling a little goofy. Come on, Edward, I want you to play with me," I said chuckling and hopped to the next flower and counted out one loudly.

It didn't take long for Edward to get into the game. See, I was stupid and decided if you fell off the flowers you had to start over. Of course, Edward being a Cullen with super powers had amazing balance. Once I was sure he would fall over but he somehow centered himself again. After starting over twice I decided it was time to play dirty.

Edward wasn't too far ahead because he kept laughing at me when I would fall and lose count. He would start over with me just so I wouldn't feel bad.

Smug bastard.

The final time I started to fall I gripped his arm in hopes of taking him with me but he just steadied me without any trouble. It was the first time I think it really sunk in just how different the Cullen's were. I was nearly on the floor when he lifted me with one hand not even grunting under the strain of my weight. He was smiling and laughing and it was hard not to smile when Edward smile.

He was beautiful.

**Epov**

Bella seemed to be getting antsy. We all agreed that we couldn't keep her confined to her room, but were worried that the sisters Carlisle had hired as surrogates would be upset and leave if they knew we had kidnapped someone.

She was given free rein of the East wing. That was the guest wing anyway. Carlisle would occasionally have nomad vampires come through, curious about our life style, but they would never stay long. Our choice was difficult to stick with if you were not truly committed.

Bella had pulled me into the hallway wanting to count the doors to the east wing. I felt bad after I told her there were twenty four of them. She pouted the cutest little pout, as if I totally ruined her fun. One would have thought I had taken away her candy or favorite toy, so I did my best to back track.

I was right about the antsy thing. She decided hoping from flower to flower would make it more exciting. It was fun to watch her wobble and hop to the next. I could have easily finished but I didn't want to move too far ahead of her.

Every time she had to go back to the beginning, her own stupid rule by the way, I would laugh and swear I lost count so I would have to start again with her. I never did lose count and it didn't really matter that I knew for a fact that there were twenty four doors. I just wanted her to be happy and be close to her. She made me feel like a young carefree human again when I was with her.

I needed to be close to her. I still didn't understand it but I did.

I had taken to staying on the couch in her room at night. She didn't seemed bother by my presence and insisted that I get an extra blanket. She didn't want me to be cold.

I laughed to myself. I knew she knew I was physically cooler but she never pointed it out or said a word about it. In fact, she never pointed out my differences. She just spoke to me as if I was a normal human boy and I had to say, in all of my one hundred years, I really wished I was for her.

A/N Mittens will return soon I promise.


	9. Chapter 9

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers. Dollybigmomma is the beta queen of this chapter and of my fictional world!**

**Chapter 9 - Weird girls and boys**

**Bpov**

Edward had told me that Mittens would be ready for pick up this afternoon. I had to say, it was a little crazy that they had to wait a full two weeks before we picked her up. Edward said it had something to do with not wanting the kitten to bleed on the furniture. I was kind of sad when they told me it would take a while for her little paws to feel better.

Edward brought me my lunch tray and sat down across from me, waiting for me to eat. He always brought me my food. We would talk until my stomach growled and then he would insist on feeding me. I tried to share with him several times but he insisted that Esme would be upset if he spoiled his appetite.

I was worried he wasn't eating but I never heard his stomach grow. His throat, sure, he growled often. Any time anyone walked into the room. I half expected him to start barking like a dog, silly boy. He mostly only growled around Jasper and Emmett. I'd bet it was hard being the little brother.

I did talk to Esme one evening about the other kids picking on Edward. She said she would have a talk with them. She seemed really sweet, but this place was huge. I knew she couldn't be everywhere at once; that was why I didn't mind Edward hanging out with me. Someone needed to look out for that poor kid.

I started noticing more and more differences in Edward. Not only did he have amazing balance and red eyes but sometimes it seemed like he was holding his breath. I noticed it a couple of times when we were talking where his chest or body didn't move at all. It was like he actually didn't need to breathe and it made me wonder if he was some sort of amphibian, like a red eyed tree frog or something. I never asked questions about his differences, though, because I didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

I didn't think I smelled bad, but when I noticed him holding his breath, I excused myself to take a shower. He said he probably should go eat with his family anyway and quickly dismissed himself. I swear, nothing cleared Edward out of a room faster than mentioning a shower. I didn't know why, everyone showered, there was nothing taboo about it.

"Do you like it?" he asked as I took a bite out of the grilled cheese sandwich he had brought me.

I nodded my head yes and he smiled. I had yet to eat the same thing twice. "Do you like grilled cheese?" I asked curious.

He frowned. "I'm on a special diet," he said quietly.

I nodded my head. "That's cool; lots of people are lactose intolerant."

I picked up a carrot stick and dipped it in the creamy mixture on the plate. "So, what is this stuff?" I asked.

"Um, I believe it's some sort of spinach dip."

I scrunched my nose at it and he jumped up and sounded almost panicked. "You don't like it? I'm so sorry! I'll get you something else. I'll do better," he said, grabbing the plate and rushing out the door. I chased after him, but being a Cullen, the booger moved fast.

"Hey, I didn't say I didn't like it!" I yelled after him. "I did even try it yet!" Freaking kid. I wandered after him. Chances were good there was a kitchen that he got my food from on this level.

I walked more towards the west wing and came to an open balcony that looked downstairs. I heard footsteps and a woman's voice. "Edward honey, please, I never see you anymore," she whined possessively and I wondered who the hell it was and why it bugged me so much to hear her talking like that to him.

"You never saw me much in the first place, Tanya; I do my best to avoid you," Edward grumbled.

"Oh, come on, don't be like that. We both know why I'm here. When are you going to put me to good use?"

"Tanya, will you please remove your hands from my person," Edward said tightly and I wanted to march down there and rip the chick's hands off of him.

"Oh, come on, Edward, please. I'm so bored here with nothing to do. I'm yours and you're supposed to put me to use. You know I wouldn't mind doing it the traditional way," Tanya said trying to sound seductive.

I could hear Edward growl from here. It echoed through the open space. "You know I'm not interested in any sort of relationship with you. Would you please just leave me alone!" he said a little louder. I heard his footsteps approach again and the clack of heels coming after him.

I was shocked to see that the girl was not some kid like him, but an older woman. In fact, I was sure she was older than I was. She had to be at least twenty six if not older, but she was absolutely beautiful. "Oh, come on, Edward. I'm not going to be in my prime forever!" she complained after him.

He started up the stairs and I noticed his eyes were closed and he was cringing. "You are not allowed on the second floor, Tanya. That's only for guests. Now please go; take care of your sister, Irina. I'm sure she could use a hand," he said way more politely than I thought he should.

Tanya stomped her foot and then stormed off after shooting an icy glare in my direction. When she did, Edward's eyes popped open and he suddenly looked worried.

I just smiled at him and headed back toward my room. He followed silently behind me.

He passed me my tray and I smiled when I saw it had apples and caramel on the plate. "You know, Edward. I didn't even get a chance to try the spinach dip. I might have liked it. Sometimes you have to try new things out. You never know if you'll like something until you try it."

He shifted nervously. "Do you want me to go back and get you some more?" he asked.

"No, silly, I'm fine. You don't need to be running around for nothing. Anyway, you don't want to run in to Tanya again, do you?" I asked wanting to gauge his reaction.

He didn't disappoint. He cringed and shivered. "I suppose you're right, but I would risk it for you. I just want you to be comfortable, Bella, happy even. I'm sorry we took you away from your life."

I just shrugged. "It was just school, though I'm not sure how I'm going to explain it to my grant and scholarship committee."

"We'll take care of that, I promise. It's the least we could do after putting you out. I'm really sorry about that."

"I know you're not a bad kid," I said trying to stop his self flagellation.

He flinched a little when I called him a kid.

"So, Edward, who is Tanya? She seems a little old to be your girlfriend."

He scowled at my words. "She's not too old or my girlfriend, or anything else. I have no need for her and she just doesn't seem to get that. I understand why my father keeps her employed, but I really wish she would take a hint and leave me alone."

"Well, feel free to hide from her here with me. I don't mind the company," I said smiling through my annoyance. I hated that there was a woman in his house harassing him. Didn't anyone look after this poor kid? "So, change of subject, when is your birthday?" I asked as I stuffed another apple slice into my mouth.

He furrowed his brow like he was confused. "My birthday?"

"Yes, you know, your birthday. The day you were born. Mine is September 13th, I'll be twenty-one," I said trying to cue him to speak.

"Oh, um, we ah, don't really celebrate birthdays." He rubbed his legs nervously. "I guess mine would be June 20th."

"So, you guys are like Jehovah's Witnesses? I know they don't celebrate holidays or even birthdays," I said in an understanding tone. I knew a kid back in middle school that had to sit out all the parties, even the birthday ones because he was a Jehovah's Witness.

Before Edward could answer, Alice came bouncing through the door unannounced. "Bella!" she squealed, "It's time to go get Mittens! Come on, let's go!" she said jumping in place. I think Alice's super power may have been hyper related.

I got up and started toward the door and noticed Edward hadn't moved. "Are you coming?" I asked

He looked up at me nervously. "I don't know; maybe I should just wait here. I don't want to upset your kitten."

"Well, with as much as we hang out she's just going to have to get used to you. Why don't you come with? Maybe if she sees you're not scary the whole car ride, she'll settle down and…"

He cut me off. "No, that's alright, you go ahead and I'll see you later."

I thought it was strange that Edward was so short with me. He disappeared down the hall before I could say anything else to him. I looked at Alice and she just shrugged. "Boys are weird," was all she said and I burst out laughing.

She was right. Boys were weird.

A/N So mittens is coming home. Thanks for reading please review.


	10. Chapter 10

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Don't you just love Dollybigmomma? She is my amazing beta and kitty expert. I couldn't write Mittens without her.**

**Chapter 10 – Mittens Returns With a Vengeance**

**Epov**

"Here, kitty kitty," I heard Bella calling the demon forth. If I thought vampires were evil, I hadn't known the true definition of the word until I met the furry fiend named Mittens.

"Come on, kitty, where are you, baby? Mittens!" she called down the hall where the cat had disappeared shortly after she arrived at the Estate.

I was sure I could quickly find the psycho freak feline by sniffing her out, but I wasn't going to offer to go after that thing again. Not after what happened last time. I was sure Esme would have a cow if I left her home in the same state that I had left Bella's apartment. Alice told me she compensated the landlord nicely, though, which was good. That whole place needed to be redone after our rumble.

"Kitty?" Bella wandered down the hall calling the fury devil and I just followed silently because I wanted to be near her and I didn't know how much time I would have with her before she found that little monster.

I heard sneezing and squealing on the far side of the house. I didn't think Bella could hear it. Apparently, Tanya had found the kitten and thought it was a rat. She was currently standing on her vanity in her bedroom screaming at the top of her lungs because Mittens was under her bed. At least something good was coming out of Mittens being here, I smirked to myself.

"EDWARD!" Tanya was screaming at the top of her lungs. I was sure all the vampires heard it but I doubted the humans could. "Oh, god, Edward, PLEASE! There's a RAT! SAVE ME!"

We had never had any problems with pests in the house. They all instinctively stay away from us. I heard Emmett snickering.

The air kicked on and Mittens chased a dust bunny out from under Tanya's bed into her closet. Tanya was screaming and jumping up and down now, stomping her feet in frustration as the kitten terrorized her closet. I could only hope the furry little angel was destroying some of the skankier clothes Tanya was always wearing.

"Here, kitty kitty," Bella continued to call. "Maybe we should get some tuna fish. Maybe once she smells it she'll come out."

No wonder Mittens went to Tanya's room. That was exactly what Tanya smelled like, very unattractive. Not like my Bella, she smelled so amazing that I hated to be too far away. I loved to fill my senses with her smell. I inhaled deeply while her back was turned and my eyes rolled back in my head. That scent was heaven.

"Edward?" I heard Bella say my name and when I opened my eyes and looked down, she was right in front of me.

"Can we get a can of tuna?" she asked again.

"Of course, that's an excellent idea," I said trying to sound like I was actively helping her look for her kitten. In my mind, though, I was enjoying watching the scene in Tanya's room unfold as Mittens toppled a stack of storage boxes that held Tanya's expensive accessories. The kitten was currently shredding the feather trim on a hat with great abandon.

Bella followed me to the top of the stairs and stopped. "Do I have to wait here? Do you think she would have gone downstairs?" she asked sounding truly worried.

"I'll have a look around. Would you like to come to the kitchen with me?" I asked.

She looked around nervously. She knew she wasn't supposed to leave the second floor, but that rule was put in place so the Denali sisters wouldn't know we were kidnappers. Tanya had already seen Bella so I figured it wouldn't hurt if she accompanied me to the kitchen.

"I don't know if I should. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble."

"You won't, Bella. As long as you don't tell anyone you've been kidnapped it should be fine. You wouldn't say that to anyone, would you?" I asked truly concerned. I wished I could read her mind!

She shook her head no and I smiled in return.

"Alright then," I said offering her my arm, "Come along."

She took my arm and slowly made her way down the stairs with me. I could hear her heartbeat racing. "You sure you won't get in trouble?" she asked again.

"I'm sure," I reassured her.

Esme was listening in and met us in the kitchen. "Bella, it's so nice to see you. I just finished a batch of cookies. Would you like some?"

We heard little feet running full force. "COOKIES!" EJ shouted. He was Emmett's son and had the dark hair and blue eyes to prove it. Caroline, Carlisle's daughter, was right behind him followed by Violet.

Bella looked surprised.

Alice followed after the group of kids laughing. "He has an appetite like his daddy, doesn't he?" she smiled at Bella and picked up her daughter. "Hey, Bella, this is my daughter, Violet."

Bella stood there looking surprised. Violet wanted to get a better look at Bella and reached out for me to get closer to her. I took her, kissing her cheek. "Hey, pretty girl. This is my friend, so you have to be soft with her, okay?"

She nodded okay.

"She smells good," Caroline said with a smile.

I ended up growling a little and Violet pouted at me.

"Oh, Edward, get over it," Alice said rolling her eyes.

I didn't like that my niece thought Bella smelled good. I suddenly realized that this might not have been a good idea.

EJ turned to Bella and sniffed the air. I stepped in front of her and growled softly. He just shrugged at me.

Esme smiled and led the kids to a plate of cookies. "Edward dear, are you going to save Tanya from that kitten or just leave her screaming on her vanity all day? She sounds like she's getting hoarse."

Bella's head snapped to my face.

"Are you sure it's the kitten, Esme? She did scream that she saw a rat in her room, not a cat," I said trying to dig myself out of trouble.

"Edward, enough, you take Bella to get her kitten and I'll make up a tray with some cookies and milk for her."

Bella was glaring at me. We started down the hall towards Tanya's room. I was sure her screaming was within Bella's hearing range now.

"Sorry, I just thought it was funny that she was freaking out over the kitten. She wasn't hurting her or anything. I wouldn't let Mittens get hurt," I said sheepishly hoping she wouldn't stay mad.

I opened Tanya's door and Tanya immediately leaped into my arms. "Oh, my god, Edward, you would not believe the size of the rat that ran into my closet. I was so scared," she said sobbing into my shoulder, clinging to me. I wasn't even holding onto her anymore. I walked her over to the bed but she wouldn't let go.

I tried prying her off of me gently onto the bed but she just grabbed my shirt and tried to pull me down with her. "Oh, Edward, baby. I'm sorry. I'm not in the mood. I'm just so freaked out about the rat. Maybe once you get rid of it and wash your hands we can start over," she cooed, running her hand through my hair.

I growled lowly. "Tanya, would you please release my shirt or I'll leave the rat in your room!"

I turned and headed toward the closet and Mittens immediately began to hiss, but I doubted Tanya or Bella could hear it.

"Edward, why are you being like that? You know I'm here for anything you need, baby. You know I can make it good for you. It doesn't have to be artificial insemination." She tried to sound seductive. I heard material shifting. Crap, I hoped she kept her clothes on. It wouldn't be the first time she'd tried to flash me.

"Excuse me," Bella said and I turned to see her standing in the doorway. She was glaring at Tanya. "Don't you think it's a bit inappropriate to be flashing a kid?" she asked. Again with the kid thing! I cringed a little, but as far as she knew I was only seventeen, and I was physically.

Tanya rolled her eyes at Bella and I growled. I didn't like her treating Bella that way. "He isn't a kid, are you, Edward? He was seventeen when I moved in about what…five years ago? So that makes you twenty two now, doesn't it? Just had your birthday back in June now didn't you, big boy?" Tanya purred.

"Enough, Tanya, I've told you repeatedly that I do not require your services at this time, so if you would so kindly just assist your sisters, that would be greatly appreciated," I snapped as politely as I could. I didn't want Bella to think I was a jerk.

Mitten's was getting louder and Bella could finally hear her. "Here, kitty," she called and walked off to the closet. I heard her snicker and then whisper, "Good kitty." She came walking out of closet with her little demon. "I'm sorry, Tanya. Mittens seems to have ruined a pair of your train shoes."

"Train shoes?"

"Yes, well, I think that's what they are. They say 'Choo' on them," Bella said suppressing a smile.

"OH, MY GOD! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" Tanya screamed and then started sneezing. I grabbed Bella and rushed her out the door, ignoring Mitten's hissing.

"Good kitty," I said snickering.

Bella looked up at me smiling. God, she was beautiful when she smiled. I needed to find more ways to make her do that.

"Yes, good kitty indeed," Bella said with a laugh.

God, she was perfect.

Demon cat and all.

A/N Thanks for reading please review.


	11. Chapter 11

**All Characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta and cat writing master.**

**Chapter 11 – Frogs**

**Bpov**

I didn't think Edward was seventeen. He looked like a young boy but he never actually told me his age. I realized now that Alice had only said in some ways that Edward was seventeen but didn't actually say he was seventeen.

Mittens didn't seem to like Edward's proximity and kept hissing at him. I tapped her little nose and told her to settle down but she ignored me. Edward kept cutting sideways glances at her, and I could have sworn the two of them glared at each other.

Once we made it to my room, I shut the door and put Mittens down. Edward went over to his chair and Mittens immediately started hissing and swatting at Edward's legs. Thank heavens she was declawed. Edward, however, still pulled his legs up in his chair and glared down at my baby who seemed to be growling and hissing at him.

I couldn't help but giggle at the sight of a grown man trying to get away from a declawed kitten.

Edward looked at me and pouted. "I told you she doesn't like me."

I got up and walked over, picking up Mittens and setting her on the bed with me away from Edward. "Be nice," I scolded her. She was still making angry cat noises but at least it wasn't as loud now.

"I can get you a fish," Edward blurted out. "Do you have to have a cat? I know she's cute but the fish wont growl and hiss at me."

"Edward, she's just getting used to being in a new place. Just give her some time to adjust," I tried to console him but Mittens just grew louder and angrier.

Edward finally growled back at her, causing her jump and run, hiding under the bed. He looked up at me sheepishly and I just laughed.

"What a pair you guys make." Did red eyed tree frogs growl? That would be interesting.

"What?" he asked me. "You look like you're trying to figure something out."

"I was just wondering about red eyed tree frogs."

"You want a frog?" he asked eagerly. "I would gladly get you a frog, no problem. In fact, I can get it now!" he said and before I could say another word he was gone. As soon as she could determine that the coast was clear, mittens came out from under the bed and jumped up next to me. I pulled her into my arms and she began purring loudly.

"Well, Mittens, I guess we're getting a frog," I said scratching my now calm kitten's belly.

I really started to wonder if Edward was part red eyed tree frog. Could he call them to him? Was that why he could catch one so easily? Was he the red eyed tree frog King and could command them into his presence? That would be kind of cool.

I wondered if the frogs would act differently in his presence.

It wasn't long before he had returned with a big smile on his face and a tall one hundred gallon pet tank.

"Wow!" I said a little shocked at the size of it. He looked around and realized he didn't have a place to set it down.

"I should get you a stand for it. Do you mind if I put it here for now?" he asked setting on the floor.

"Yeah, that's fine," I said a little surprised and he was suddenly gone again.

I moved forward to see if I could find the frog in the habitat. Mittens jumped on top of it, sniffing through the wire screen that covered the top. "You be nice, Mittens," I chided. She rubbed her face against the screen.

I looked around and finally found the little frogs. There were two of them hiding inside of a piece of hollow log.

"They're nocturnal," Edward said startling me. "They sleep during the day but are very active at night."

"Really? I didn't know that." I wasn't all that surprised that he knew that though.

He nodded excitedly and set the tank on a stand by my bed. "They're really cool looking. Their undersides are blue and yellow striped. They're one of the more colorful frogs. What had you thinking about them?" he asked looking at me curiously.

I was trying to find the words to ask him if he was related to the red eyed tree frog, but Mittens sudden launched herself at his head. She tried to hang on, forgetting she didn't have claws and ended up with a mouth full of Edward's bronze hair while standing on his shoulder, slapping him madly with both paws in his ear and right eye. Edward stumbled back into my bed post and smashed it on impact. When he finally hit the floor, Mittens was on his face still slapping away, tugging the large lock of his hair in her mouth with all her might, all the while growling and wailing loudly. I quickly jumped on them both and lifted mittens off of Edward, holding her away from him.

"Oh, my God, Edward, are you okay? She didn't hurt you, did she?" I asked

He looked more stunned than anything else and I realized I was still straddling him. I blushed and tried to get up off of him while trying to keep my hissing, flailing kitten away from him. In my clumsiness, I ended up losing my balance when Mittens jumped from my arms onto the broken bed. I tried to catch her but missed and landed back on top of Edward with a thump.

We were lying chest to chest and face to face, and his stunned burgundy eyes took the words from my throat. I lay there on top of him staring in shock and amazement at how beautiful he was up close.

I didn't know how long we lay there like that but my arms started to shake from holding myself up over him. He finally made a move, but not to get me off of him. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled us both up with ease.

His sweet breath filled my lungs as he looked down at me. "Bella," he said my name softly, "Are you okay?"

I swallowed hard. I think I was okay. I wasn't hurt; he was the one that was attacked by the kitten. "Yeah, are you? Mitten's didn't hurt you did she?"

He smirked. "She can't hurt me, Bella." He looked sadly at the broken bed. "I'm sorry about your bed, though. She just startled me. That usually doesn't happen to me. I guess I was a little distracted by the frogs."

"They are really cool," I said.

He smiled. "Yeah, they are." It was then that we realized he still had arms wrapped snugly around me. We both stepped back; trying to act like it was not big deal. I was sure to be bright red judging by how hot I suddenly felt.

Something had changed between us, but I wasn't sure what it was. Talking with him suddenly felt difficult and the awkwardness hung thickly in the air.

"I should see about getting you another bed before it gets too late. I'm sorry about that."

I laughed. "Don't apologize, it was pretty entertaining. I'm glad you're alright. You don't have to worry about getting a bed tonight. It's already late. I can just sleep in another room."

"I can get a bed from another room," he offered moving toward the door. "It's really no trouble at all," he said and he was gone.

One of these days I was going to teach that boy to wait for my answer. He was just too eager to please.

A/N Thanks for reading please review.


	12. Chapter 12

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers and Dollybigmomma is the Beta love of my life. **

**Chapter 12 – Room**

**Epov**

Something changed between Bella and me. I didn't know what exactly, but it did. She fell on top of me and just lay there stunned and not moving, and her body felt so hot against mine. I could feel her temperature rising and I thought for a moment that she would blush any second, but she didn't. She just kept getting hotter and hotter and making me feel hotter.

I was not used to feeling hot. I was not used to feeling anything, but since she had arrived my life had been a rollercoaster.

I was so embarrassed that I ruined her bed trying to escape the wrath of her insane kitten but she thought it was funny and not a big deal. She saved me from the demon cat and then lay down over my body, so warm. Her eyes were looking right through me, into me, and I regretted still having red eyes but she didn't seem to mind. They didn't faze her at all. She stared into them unabashedly and I could see into hers.

She was such a sweet, patient and kind soul. I knew this, as she had thought I was just a young boy and did what she could to take care of me. She let me hide out in her room and never dismissed me or felt annoyed by my presence.

I found her smile was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and my craving for her blood wavered greatly, but my need for her presence did not. I could not be away from her. I was finding I was addicted to her scent and often when I had to be away from her I would sneak something from her room so I could smell it in her absence.

I knew it was creepy but I needed to calm myself. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I had been scolded by Rosalie for growling at her boy because he sniffed Bella. I knew I should not be that protective but she was such a fragile little human. I knew she was still nervous around my family, though. Her heartbeat would pick up slightly around them. I didn't think anyone noticed because it was such a minor change, but I did.

I didn't like her being uncomfortable. In fact, I made it my mission to find out everything she liked and be sure she had it all. She scolded me for being too eager, though. Apparently, she wanted to at least try the spinach dip and just because she was thinking about red eyed tree frogs didn't necessarily mean she wanted a red eyed tree frog. Of course, when I went to take them away she waved me off and said it was too late, that she had already named them Hubert and Kermit.

This lecture came shortly after I accidently broke her door off the hinges when I brought in her new bed. I completely forgot you can disassemble those. I was just so anxious to get it into her room so she could rest.

That was when she suggested we go to my room.

I was suddenly in a panic. She wanted to see my room! What if she didn't like it?

I didn't want to offend her by telling her no but she insisted we go and bring demon spawn Mittens and her new pets, Hubert and Kermit.

She carried the demon spawn while I carried the frogs.  
I noticed that she kept looking at me and then to the frogs as if she was trying to figure something out and I wished for the billionth time I could read her mind.

Alice called to my mind and told me to be patient with Mittens. It would be very difficult not to hurt that kitten. I wondered if Bella would notice if I had it stuffed?

I set the frogs down on the coffee table in my room and turned around to see if I would be able to read Bella's expression.

I had a few keepsakes, old baseballs, and a picture of my parents, my birth parents that is, around my room. I wondered what she would think when she looked at my bookshelf and saw all my classics. Some were first editions that I had bought new.

Would she question my taste in music as well? I silently panicked as I realized what I had left in my player when she hit the play button. Would she be disappointed that it was classical?

She turned around and smiled. Was she being kind or was she laughing at me?

"You're much older than you look," she said with a smirk.

I shrugged. "Do you age at all?" she asked looking at me curiously and I wanted to suddenly hide in the closet from her questioning stare.

I shook my head no.

She glanced at the picture of my parents and made a move to touch it but pulled her hand back. I walked over to it and handed it to her so she would know it was okay to look at it.

"Who are these people? Did you know them?" she asked.

I nodded my head yes and my throat suddenly felt tight and I was nervous to tell her they were my parents.

She looked at my father and then the little boy sitting on my mother's knee and then up to me again. She flipped the picture over and saw that it said 'Masen Family 1903'.

"Is this little boy you?" she finally asked.

I just nodded my head yes, unable to lie to her.

She smiled softly. "You were adorable, Edward."

I wanted to thank her but I couldn't find words to speak. She put the picture back and picked up the baseball. "So, you like baseball? My dad used to watch a lot of it while I was visiting. I don't mind it. We should check out a game some time."

I must have looked shocked because she let out a laugh. I wanted to take her to a game right now but it being so late I knew there wasn't one going.

I glance over at the couch. I didn't have a bed. Alice had put a blanket and pillow on my couch for Bella to use but I felt guilty.

"So, are you going to tell me why you don't have a bed?" she asked.

I frowned. I didn't want to point out anymore differences to her.

"Fine," she said waving me off and climbing onto the couch to sleep. She tucked Mittens into her arms, kissing her head, and I had never been so jealous of that damn cat as I was at that moment.  
I suddenly realized I wanted Bella to kiss me and I was shocked. I had never wanted a girl to kiss me, ever, in all of my hundred some years, and now I was growling lowly at the cat because she kissed it on the head.

I was so messed up. I was obviously going insane. How was I going to fix this?

Bella Swan had obviously broken me.

A/N Thanks for reading please review.


	13. Chapter 13

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen**

**Chapter 13 – Smelling Good**

**Bpov**

I was sleeping deeply, the smell of Edward enveloping me. I thought he smelled good before but I had only caught small whiffs of him. He was very good about keeping his distance, as if I would get girl cooties on him.

Of course, I knew now he was not a seventeen year old boy. The date on the back of the picture where he was a toddler said 1903. Edward was over one hundred years old. He was probably timid because of the time period he grew up in. In the early 1900's women did not speak of their under things in mixed company.

I smiled to myself. Edward was a gentleman. It was with those thoughts I had drifted off to sleep.

I was tired and curious to learn more about him but I didn't want to push him if he wasn't ready. I knew how annoying it could be to have someone try and pry into your life. It was obvious Edward was not used to having others interfere with his.

How did I miss that he smelled this good? I inhaled deeply before I started to wake. I was running my fingers through what I thought was Mittens fur but then I realized it was too long to be her fur and too soft. It was really soft and very nice between my fingers. I could hear a soft purring as I scratched what I came to realize was a cool scalp. I opened my eyes and smiled at Edward, who had his head on the couch under my hand. He was kneeling next to the couch with his eyes closed, not touching me anywhere else. I wondered if he was dreaming. I knew he probably would not allow this kind of touching while awake.

He continued to purr as I massaged his head and played with his hair. When my movement slowed he nuzzled into my hand and I giggled.

His eyes popped wide and he jumped back.

"I'm so sorry," he exclaimed, "It was just that Mittens had moved and took off into the closet and I didn't want to freak her out by catching her and I didn't want her to attack me so I came to sit over by you and then you started rubbing my head. I guess I got a little distracted," he said the last part shamefully.

I just giggled. "Come here, silly boy," I said waving him back over to me.

He looked unsure of himself but I continued to coax him back over to me. He knelt down next to the couch and I put my hand back in his hair. He let out a sigh of contentment and started purring again. That was such a cute noise. I wanted to hear more of it.

I sat up, put my legs on either side of him and started rubbing his cool shoulders and neck and into his hair. He closed his eyes again, purring a little louder, and I half expected him to meow. Maybe he was half frog and half cat, some wild experiment that went wrong.

Of course, that did not explain why he smelled so damn good!

Without even noticing I had leaned further down into him so I could inhale him better, I found my face down next to his ear as I rubbed my hands into his hair. I wanted to lick him.

WHAT DID I JUST THINK?

I wanted to lick Edward?

Yes, yes I did.

"That feels so good," he moaned while purring and it was so damn cute.

Now I wanted to kiss and lick him.

God help me. I hoped he didn't have super smelling ability because he'd know that I wanted him. I didn't know what had changed but it did. Edward, the sweet gentleman that bent to my every whim and had the looks of a god, was the man of my dreams and I thought for a moment that I may actually be dreaming.

Yeah, I probably was.

I decided to test my theory of me dreaming because I was pretty sure Edward would never let me touch him like this. I leaned down and nuzzled his ear and inhaled deeply. "You smell so good."

The purring suddenly stopped.

He looked at me wide eyed and shocked.

I blushed and pulled away. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

I could see he visibly swallowed and then just nodded his head. Of course, I didn't know if that meant if he was okay with what I did or he did mind and was glad that I stopped.

Jesus, I wasn't sleeping. I had Edward purring.

"I should get Mittens," I said and hurried into his closet. I looked everywhere for my baby and found her curled up in one of Edward's shoes asleep. "Edward, you have to see this," I whispered to him.

He peeked his head into the closet and found me pointing at the shoe with Mittens sound asleep.

He smiled, "She is pretty cute when she's sleeping and not trying to kill me."

I chuckled painfully because it was true. Mittens did have something against Edward even though he had done nothing but be nice. I needed to train Mittens to be comfortable around Edward.

"Edward, do you mind if I take your shoe? Maybe if she gets used to your stuff, you know, your smell, she'll feel more comfortable around you," I asked worried he would say no.

"Sure, Bella, I understand. You can have my shoes and maybe a sweater for her to sleep on. It would be more comfortable than the shoe I'd think."

I pulled a sweater off of the shelf. "Is this one okay?"

"Sure, whatever you want, Bella. You know I want you to be happy."

"Thanks, Edward." I picked up the shoe and Mittens barely moved. Her eye twitched and I scratched her little head and she settled back down. "Look, Edward, she isn't hissing at you," I whispered.

He smiled but didn't make a move to come any closer. "Progress," he answered back and then picked up the frogs. I started down the hall toward my room. I set Mittens down in my closet next to my shoes and I had to admit that I liked the look of Edward's shoes next to mine.

I didn't know what was wrong with me. I needed to get hold of myself before I made a fool of myself again.

And knowing me, that was more likely to happen than not.

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	14. Chapter 14

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma freaking rocks!**

**Chapter 14 – Fix it!**

**Epov**

Once I was sure Bella was asleep, I growled at the kitten and she ran and hid in my closet. I knew some would think I was picking on a helpless little kitten, but I was convinced it was evil. I wondered how Bella was really taking the fact that I was much older. She seemed to be okay with it and didn't even press me to find out why I didn't have a bed.

I didn't want to tell her I didn't sleep. I was sure it would seem odd to her if she knew I sat around all night watching her sleep like a creepy stalker. I wasn't a stalker, just mildly addicted to her smell and I think maybe her in general.

I had found Bella to be a very sweet and genuine person and I truly did enjoy her company along with her silent mind most of the time. Sometimes I truly wished I could know what was going on in her mind. She always looked like she was trying to figure something out and I really had no clue as to what it was.

I saw her reaching for the kitten and I felt a little guilty that she had nothing to hold on to. At least that was the story I was going with. I did my best to not touch her anywhere. I did not want her to think of me as being inappropriate. I let my head rest next to her hand and her fingers quickly found their way into my hair. She slept all night with her hand on my head warming my skull. It was very pleasant. Her warmth seemed to radiate all the way down to my toes.

I didn't know how long I sat there. It didn't seem long to me. I felt her fingers start to wiggle on and off throughout the night and so I thought nothing of it when they started to run through my hair and her fingertips started to massage my scalp. I started to purr uncontrollably and thought of trying to stop myself but then realized the kitten would have purred as well, so if I was going to play kitten it would be okay if I purred.

Then I heard it. Her giggle. My eyes popped open wide and she was smiling. Oh, thank heavens; she didn't seem to think I was a sicko trying to take advantage of her in the middle of the night. Then she invited me back to her and really started rubbing my head and shoulders. I didn't ache like a human but her warm hands running over my cool body felt just delicious. I even told her that it felt so good.

I felt her heart thumping hard through her fingertips and then her warm breath on my neck. I inhaled deeply savoring the sweet smell of my Bella and noticed a thick delicious musky scent that was her and so much more. I felt my body react and I wanted to growl and turn and bury my face in her but then she did the most shocking thing. She told me that I smelled good, too.

I was a little shocked. I didn't think Bella was attracted to me and to have her say something like that was shocking. I really didn't know what to do with myself. For the first time in my life, I found myself scared of a human.

She started to apologized and I felt like a jerk.

I realized that it was just my vampire scent she was enjoying and I truly could not take advantage of her like that.

She quickly grabbed her kitten from my closet and took a sweater as well, hoping to get demon cat to settle down and like me. She didn't realize the kitten didn't like me because it knew what I was, even if Bella didn't. The kitten was smart and it was right to try and stay away from me and I wondered if I would be able to stay away from Bella as well.

I knew I shouldn't develop these feeling for a human and I was shocked that I was thinking of her in a way that I had never thought of another person, human or vampire. I knew Bella was beautiful, sweet and kind and I loved just being in her presence.

I set the frogs down in her room and she came out of the closet without her kitten. She smiled at me as I put the frogs away and looked at them for a moment.

"You know, you both have a lot in common," she said motioning to the frogs.

I furrowed my brow not sure what she was talking about. I had nothing in common with a slimy frog.

"You both have red eyes and are cold blooded. I'm also starting to suspect that you may be nocturnal as well."

"I'm not nocturnal," I replied nervously.

She just shrugged. "So, can you jump really high like a frog?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Sure, I suppose, but that doesn't mean anything. I can run fast like a deer as well. I'm not cold blooded either."

She took a step closer to me and looked me in the eyes. "So, you're not related to the red eyed tree frog?" she asked very seriously.

I could hear Emmett laughing his head off. I would have to hit him when the kids weren't looking.

"No, I'm not related to the red eyed tree frog, or any other animal for that matter."

She let out a huff and plopped down on her bed. "Well, what are you then?" she asked outright for the first time.

I couldn't tell her. I wanted to and I wished that I could but it was against the law. I would have to speak to Carlisle about it.

"Well, are you going to tell me?" she asked expectantly.

I let out a sigh. "I need to speak with my family before I can divulge anything. I don't want to put you in more danger."

"Knowing would put me in danger?" she asked annoyed. "Like I'm in danger now? I think you and I have very different ideas of what danger is, Edward."

"You're in very terrible danger right at this very moment. As long as I'm in your presence or any of my family are near you, you're in very real danger, and I know they like to play human, but we're not. One small mistake could end your life, Bella, and no one in my family would think of it as murder, just an unfortunate accident," I nearly growled at her. She needed to understand that she really wasn't safe.

"Oh, get over yourself!" she snapped shocking me.

"Bella!" I growled and yelled at the same time. "You were kept here so I wouldn't kill you. Don't you understand that?"

She shrugged at me and then hopped off the bed. "Do you still want to kill me, Edward?" She got right up in my face. She smelled so good. "Why don't you just do it and get it over with then?" she challenged.

I roared at her and took a few steps away. "Don't tempt me, little girl."

"I don't think you're a killer, Edward."

"Well, that's where you're wrong because I have killed! I've killed over fifty men and felt no remorse for it! I'm a killer and my family is doing all they can to keep me from killing you because you're an innocent and I would feel guilty if I messed up. If I slipped up, as my family puts it. You're an accident waiting to happen. The only reason you're still alive right now is because I find you interesting," I growled angrily. She had to know how dangerous I was.

"Innocent? Were those men guilty of something?" she asked.

"Does it matter?" I asked.

"I think it does because honestly, in some cases I think I would be able to kill a person, so yes. Were those men guilty of something?"

"They were. I can read minds and so I could read their intentions as they attacked the innocent. I would stop them by killing them. I played judge, jury and executioner. Carlisle did not approve and made me see the error of my ways. I wasn't God and had no right to take their lives, even if they deserved to die".

She sat on the bed cross legged. "So, you were like a super hero saving people from the bad guys."

"No, Bella, I was a murderer. Super heroes turn over the guilty to the police. I just killed them instead."

"Well, it isn't like the system is perfect. Guilty people get off all the time and well, with your mind reading trick you knew they were guilty," she said trying to excuse me.

I shook my head at her logic. "I'm no super hero, Bella. I'm the bad guy."

She smiled softly letting out a sigh. "Well, I guess it just depends on whose point of view you look at it from."

"It doesn't matter, Bella, now drop it. Just know you're not safe here and I'm doing all I can to make it so you can go back home. You shouldn't be here, Bella."

I heard her heart stutter and I didn't know what it meant. She became very quiet and I looked up at her and she seemed sad. "Don't you want to go home?" I asked.

She shrugged. "You've seen it. I'm not really missing anything by being here other than school."

"I told you we would take care of that."

She shook her head and turned away from me slowly, heading for her bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower, Edward. I'll see you later," she said quietly as she disappeared behind the bathroom door.

I slipped out of her bedroom, running into an angry Alice. She smacked my head. "You idiot! You're ruining everything!"

"What?" I asked confused.

She showed me a vision of Bella holding a beautiful copper haired child and she had a very pregnant belly. I took the child from her, insisting she sit down and kissed her softly. My heart ached as I watched the scene. She was so beautiful carrying my child, as my wife.

"Edward!" Alice said hitting me again. "You've ruined it! Now only this happens."

I looked at Alice's visions again and saw a sad and broken looking Bella walking back to her old apartment. It was still sparse and drab, and then I saw her calling her mother and moving to Florida, leaving me alone again. Permanently.

"She never comes back, Edward! You messed up! You've destroyed both your futures. You'd better fix it!"

That would be easier said than done because I had no idea how to fix what I had done. I wasn't even sure what it was that made Bella go from being my wife to only being a distant, painful memory but I suddenly really like the idea of her having my children.

I had to find a way to make it happen.

A\N thanks for reading please review.


	15. Chapter 15

**All Characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is the beta master.**

**Chapter 15 – Babies and Bodies**

**Bpov**

I was trying not to let Edward's words get to me but it wasn't working. I sat on the shower bench and cried as the water pummeled me. I knew I was technically kidnapped but I was hoping that Edward had become my friend. We had spent so much time together, but apparently it meant nothing to him because he was just trying to get rid of me.

I would do my best not to bother him anymore. I would read and do my best to avoid him as long as I had to stay here.

I finally pulled myself together, not sure how long I had been in the shower. The water never ran cold here. I made my way to my room and found Alice sitting on the bed.

"Finally, I thought you would never come out, Ms. Mopey," she said in way too perky of a voice. She had clothes laid out for me, but I really just wanted to put on some sweats and climb back into bed.

"Hey, clothes right here," she said as I walked past them to find my sweats.

Next thing I knew, I was suddenly surrounded…or something, I wasn't sure. My body registered that something was being done to it, but my eyes were confused, as it was all a blur. Once Alice stepped back, she smiled, "So stubborn."

I looked down to see that she had dressed me.

"Now, come on, Ms. Pouty, we have work to do," she said grabbing my hand and I really didn't have it in me to fight her off. Not that I could've if I'd wanted to anyway. I had come to understand that all of them were extremely strong and fast, and obviously not human. I still didn't know what they were, and I didn't ask. I was probably better off not knowing.

When the door opened, Edward was sitting on the floor in the hallway with his arms wrapped around his knees.

"Bella, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that stuff and scared you," he started in a rush.

"Oh, shut up, Edward, you're going to make it worse," Alice snapped.

"Please, I'm sorry. Please don't leave me. Can't I just stay by you? I promise I'll be quiet." He went on and I wondered what it was about me that he needed so badly.

I just shook my head no at him and he slid back down the wall outside my room pouting.

"Oh, good heavens, Edward; get over your pouty moody self!" Alice said. "Emmett, come get this boy out of here and loosen him up or something. She's not going to enjoy herself if she knows he's sitting here pouting the whole time," Alice said.

Emmett suddenly appeared. "Hey, sis," he said kissing Alice's cheek. "Bella, good to see you. Don't worry about the pouty lump over there. I'll get him straightened out."

He gave me a bone crushing hug and I groaned in response.

"Not so hard, Emmett," Alice scolded.

Edward was at my side instantly, growling at Emmett.

"Chill, bro, my girl here is cool. Right, Belly?" he asked.

I just nodded and glared at Edward for overreacting. I could have sworn he whimpered, but Emmett just grabbed him with one big hand and disappeared.

Alice pulled me down the stairs and I followed her nervously. "We're going shopping," she said excitedly. "Esme and Carlisle are expecting their second child any day now," she said excitedly.

"What?" I was confused. Esme was not pregnant last time I saw her.

"Irina, their surrogate, is due anytime now. We have to get the nursery ready! I've been putting it off because Irina's health has not been the best the past couple of weeks but she's crossed the safe threshold for delivery. Carlisle will most likely induce her this evening or next, so we have to get cracking!" Alice squealed.

"Irina? Tanya's sister?" I asked.

"Yup, they're our surrogates. Irina is Carlisle and Esme's, Kate is Jasper's and mine, and Carmen is Emmett and Rosalie's."

"That leaves Tanya for Edward," I answered, finally really understanding why Tanya kept begging Edward for attention.

"Yes, but he isn't interested in having children, at least not with her," Alice said letting her words linger. "We thought she would be a good match because of her hair coloring. It's similar to Edward's so it would seem more like his child; well, his and his mate's child if he ever settles down."

"Alice, how old is Edward?" I finally asked.

She shrugged, "We don't really keep track of age anymore. I would guess just over a century, though, if you count his human life as well."

"And he hasn't settled down once in all that time?" I asked shocked.

She shook her head no. "He's a bit timid as you've learned. That and girls today are very…" she tried to think of a word, "Out going? He just doesn't handle them well. Especially since he can read their minds."

"That's the second time I've heard that."

"Don't worry, he can't read yours. That's what makes you so interesting and, well, peaceful to him," she said with a smile.

"What happened to make him shy like that?" I asked. Surely he wasn't always so scared of women.

"Well, see, there was a great shift in culture between his human years and his reintroduction back into society. He was raised as a proper gentleman. Can you imagine his shock when he was reintroduced into a time where women were showing naked shins and holding jobs?"

"Shins?" I asked confused.

"Oh, yes, Edward grew up in a time when it was taboo for a woman to show even an ankle covered in stockings, so can you imagine the poor boy's shock when he goes back into town and is surrounded by a bunch of naked legs? If he was still alive he would have had a heart attack."

Edward was starting to make more sense.

"I'm sure he would have been interested if a proper lady still existed but, well, they just didn't. I can tell he misses his time. He does enjoy the technical advances, but not the social ones. It's sweet really when he and Violet play together. He teaches her all the proper etiquette of an early 1900's lady, and Jasper is all for her never showing her ankles to anyone. It really is adorable. We'll have to peek in on them before the day is through."

"I thought Edward was with Emmett?" I asked confused.

"Oh, I'm sure he is but Violet is his little friend and he'll use any excuse in the world to sneak off and visit with her. ETP he calls it. It stands for Emergency Tea Party. He'll even make her little snacks and dress up for her. It really is quite adorable. He's going to make an amazing father some day."

We walked into a baby store and apparently Alice had already pre-ordered everything. A worker helped us load up the car and we hurried back to the mansion.

She led me upstairs to a cute little blue room that was connected to a larger one. Esme came walking through the adjoining doors. "Bella, I'm so glad to see you. It's wonderful that Edward is making enough progress that he can physically be away from you now isn't it?"

I just nodded, not really sure how I felt about it either way yet.

"I suppose Alice has told you the wonderful news," she said beaming.

"Yes, congratulations. I'll bet you're thrilled to have a new baby coming soon," I tried to show my enthusiasm.

"We're very excited. Carlisle said Irina is due any time now. I truly can't wait," she said clapping her hands.

Alice pulled some large furniture boxes out and disappeared in a blur. Esme joined her and seconds later they stopped and the nursery was suddenly fully furnished.

"Wow, you guys really get down to business," I said and they both giggled. Alice tossed me the bedding for the crib and told me to make the bed, and so I did. Once I was finished I turned around to see that the rest of the room was completely decorated in a little doctor's theme and Esme was putting away little clothes. She was doing it at normal speed, though.

"Come, Bella, look at these tiny little outfits. They're just adorable. Look at how small we all started out. It's truly amazing that we can grow up so fast," she said smiling softly.

"Are you alright to finish up on your own, Esme? I want to go find the boys," Alice said pulling me toward the door.

"Yes, and they're out in the weight room," she said shaking her head.

Alice pulled me out the side door of the house, past the garage and into what looked like another bay. I could hear Emmett chiding someone. "Come on, princess, you like playing tea party but when it's time to be a man you're all mush."

"I am not, Emmett, I'm made of stone just as you are, there's nothing mushy about me and this is just ridiculous."

"Come on, it's time to be a man and take off that silly undershirt. That's not how men work out," Emmett complained and we heard something tearing.

"Emmett, this is highly improper, what if a woman…"

His words caught in his throat when he saw me walk in. He moved the huge weights he had in his hands to cover himself. He was looking everywhere but at me. I knew he felt undressed and improper. I decided I would save him the embarrassment and turned my back to him. Of course, I only did that after I got a good look at him.

All I could say was damn, boy was Fine!

a/n thanks for reading please review.


	16. Chapter 16

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is the beta queen.**

**Chapter 16 – Friends**

**Bpov**

There was a timid knock at my door. "Bella?" I heard Edward call out.

I let out a sigh before I answered. I was in my nightgown and pulled the covers up since I knew it would make him uncomfortable. "Come in."

The door opened a crack and he poked his head in.

"I'm descent, Edward, you can come in," I told him.

He opened the door a little more but continued to study his shoes. I felt Mittens shift on the blanket and I tucked the sweater around her a little more. She seemed to enjoy Edward's scent when it wasn't attached to Edward. I couldn't blame her. He did smell nice.

Edward looked like he was trying to work up the courage to say something but I stopped him. "Your blanket is still on the couch. Go ahead and lie down. We can talk in the morning," I said shooing him to the couch on the far side of the room.

He looked up at me with sad but grateful eyes and quickly took his place on my couch. I slipped further under my blankets, determined to go to sleep. "Goodnight, Edward," I said softly knowing he would hear me.

"Goodnight, Bella, and thank you," he whispered back so softly I almost missed it.

What was I going to do with this boy?

The next morning when I woke, Edward was sitting quietly again looking down at his shoes.

"Wow, your shoes must be really interesting," I said as I stretched and yawned.

"What?" he asked confused and I chuckled.

"It's just that you were looking at them last night and now you're still looking at them again this morning," I teased.

Silly boy looked down at his shoes and then realized again what he had done and tried to look somewhere else. I just laughed and then patted the bed calling him over. "Come here, Edward, I want to talk to you."

He just nodded okay and moved very slowly, sitting on the far corner of the bed. I remembered Alice telling me about him being uncomfortable around girls and even though my nightgown more than covered me, I knew he felt uncomfortable around me when I was wearing it.

"Actually, why don't you wait outside my door and I'll get dressed, that way I don't have to hang onto the blanket the whole time," I offered.

He smiled and nodded in agreement, smoothly sliding out the door. Once he was out I quickly used the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I hurried to the closet, throwing on the first thing I could grab and then opened the door. I was surprised to see Edward standing there with a tray of fruit.

"Breakfast?" he offered and I smiled and invited him in. I needed to talk to him and find out the real reason he was so obsessed with me. I had a feeling he wasn't going to just outright tell me.

"Edward, what's the real reason you're keeping me here?" I finally asked hoping to get some answers.

"You don't like it here?" he asked almost heartbroken.

"Well, yes, I do actually. Have you seen the shower in there?" I said pointing to it. "That's just awesome," I grinned. "I really am enjoying my time here, Edward, when you're being nice that is," I said pointedly.

He frowned. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I swear, I didn't mean to upset you. I just feel you've gotten the wrong idea about us. We aren't…"  
I cut him off.

"Edward, I know you aren't 'normal' and that you're definitely different in a major way, but you are nice. Even if you've taken me, you've done your best to keep me comfortable. What if I told you that I wanted to go to England because I'd never gone?"

"I can have the villa readied," he said quickly, but I stood up stopping him.

"That's my point, Edward. You do whatever you can to please me and I don't understand why. Is it because you feel guilty? I want to know the truth," I finally got it out.

He was back to looking at his shoes. I decided to point it out. "Yeah, those are really nice shoes, but I don't see what all the attention is about."

He looked up at me and chuckled. He shook his head. "I don't know, Bella," he finally said. "I don't know what makes you so different. I just know I need to be around you," he said timidly.

"What happens when I'm away?" I asked.

He was looking at me carefully; I was sure he was debating whether or not to tell me the truth. He nervously looked up at me and said, "I don't like it when you're away from me. I don't feel right inside and I want to grab you and bring you back." He looked down at his shoes again sadly. "I'm sorry."

I let out a huff. "So you miss me when I'm gone?" I said and he looked at me sideways.

He shrugged a little. "Sort of, but it's more intense than just that."

"What do you want to do with me once you grab me and bring me back?" I asked curious.

"I want to hide you away so no one will take you from me. You're mine," he said the last part a little more forcefully and then flinched back in shame.

"Are you ever going to tell me what being yours entails?" I asked calmly like he didn't just freak out.

He looked up at me carefully. "I like to smell you," he said looking at me carefully. I did my best not to show a reaction. He seemed satisfied so he went on. "I mean, I don't have to smell _you_, per se, but if I can sit in your room where your scent is, I find it very calming," he said nervously looking at me. I just smiled and nodded for him to continue. "I find your voice very soothing. I enjoy listening to you speak. I never know what you're going to say, it's very surprising sometimes," he said with a small smile. "I like to hear you laugh and see you smile. I could spend the rest of eternity just sitting here with you, content to listen to you and watch you sleep."

I plopped back on the bed and rolled over onto my belly, grabbing some fruit and started eating it. "Okay, I guess I could do that," I said and he looked up surprised.

"What?" he asked.

"I don't mind staying with you, Edward. Besides, I thought we were friends before you went all crazy on me yesterday."

He looked truly chastened and I felt bad for bring it up. "I'm so sorry for the way I treated you yesterday. I should've never spoken that way to you. I really truly wish to make it up to you. Perhaps some flowers or chocolates?" he asked unsure. "Irina suggested you may enjoy them."

"You don't have to get me chocolates or flowers, Edward. I just don't want it to happen again."

He nodded sadly and quickly sat down on the couch.

"Edward?" I asked

He looked up at me instantly. "Yes?"

"If I'm yours, does that mean you're mine, too?" I said with a small smile.

He grinned widely and nodded his head yes. "Of course. I suppose it's only fair."

"Alright then," I grinned in return and popped another berry in my mouth.

I think I liked that idea.

A/N Thanks for reading please review.


	17. Chapter 17

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta master.**

**Chapter 17 – He's MINE!**

**Bpov**

Mittens had been acting weird. She wasn't attacking Edward anymore but neither of them liked to be on the same side of the room, either. It was rather amusing watching them dance around each other.

Every night when I would go to sleep, Mittens was on my bed. But when I woke up every morning, she was in the closet and Edward was at my bedside with my hand in his hair. He swore that he just didn't want me to miss my kitten but I suspected that he was scaring her away once I was sleeping to take her place. I would be upset if he wasn't so damn cute. Most guys would be copping a feel and here he was not even getting on the bed, just kneeling at the side, facing away from me even, so I could play with his hair in my sleep. How cute was that?

He was, in a sense, taking advantage of me but in such a mild, sweet way that I just couldn't find it in me to stop him. Besides, Mittens seemed perfectly comfortable in the shoe I had brought her.

The frogs were nocturnal and more active at night, as in noisy. So after the first night of bad sleep, Edward gave them to Emmett, who apparently was really excited to have them. I was looking out over the back yard the next morning and Emmett had yelled up to my window, "Hey, Bella, check it out! I'm a red eyed tree frog!" He sprang to the top of an old oak tree, laughing hysterically. I was glad he liked them because they were driving me nuts, and I had already ruled them out as being part of why Edward was different.

I still had no clue as to what he was and he didn't help, either. I had made a list of his differences and one of what might have caused his change. He had peeked over my shoulder and smiled. "Would you like me to narrow your list down?" he asked trying not to laugh. Butthead!

"Sure, fine, narrow it down, Mr. Giggles."

He took my pen and crossed everything off.

"They're all wrong?" I was stunned; I was hoping I was at least getting close with the altered insect bite or experimental DNA clone reproduction. I mean, Carlisle and Esme had gone through so much trouble to have a baby; who was to say they didn't go mad scientist for a time, but apparently that was wrong, too.

"Sorry, but you're not even close," he said smirking.

I sat down pouting. "Would you even tell me if I guessed right?"

He smiled sadly, "Yes, I would, but I kind of hope that you never do."

"Why? What's so bad about me knowing?"

"I don't want you to be afraid of me. I know you should be, but I don't want you to," he said with a little pout.

"Do you want me to stop trying to figure it out?" I asked

He looked up at me hopeful. "Please?"

"Fine, but you have to give me something else to do. Sitting around this room all day is getting boring," I whined.

He looked hurt for a minute and then jumped up. "How about a board game!"

He looked so excited I couldn't say no.

He came back with a huge stack of games and I had to laugh. "Which one first?" he asked eagerly.

I examined the stack and laughed a little at the collection. I pulled out Candy Land and raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"It's Violet's, she let me borrow it."

"Would she like to join us?" I asked

Suddenly, there was a little rapping on my door. Edward pouted and I opened the door to Alice's adorable little girl. She smiled widely and waved up at me.

"Come to play?" I asked returning her smile and she nodded her head yes and walked over to where Edward was setting up the board.

Violet never spoke to me but I had a feeling she was talking to Edward. Especially when she beat us for the fifth time at Candy Land. I thought it was hilarious because Edward kept pouting at the board as if he was really upset, but I suspected he was letting her win. He was the one that shuffled the cards. I came in second every time as well.

My stomach growled and the little girl looked at me wide eyed.

"I guess I'm hungry. Would you like to join me for a snack?" I asked.

I was not sure what was going on, but I could tell the little girl was somehow talking to Edward. She had looked out the window several times and he had told her no by shaking his head and then finally saying it. She started to pout and my god, she was just too much. I mean, she was adorable before, but I mean, seriously, I doubted anyone could discipline this child because she was just too damn cute.

"Does she want to go outside?" I guessed.

She smiled up at me and nodded her head yes eagerly.

"Can we have a picnic?" I asked Edward.

He looked outside. It was a beautiful sunny day. He frowned a little.

Before he could answer, Alice was at the door. "Oh, quit freaking out and go have a picnic. I'll take Violet to have tea. Bella needs to get out of the house and get some fresh air before she goes stir crazy and burns this place down."

I jumped up excited. "Thank you, Alice." I rushed over and hugged her.

"Any time. Don't let Mr. Grumpy give you a hard time," she nodded at Edward.

"I won't," I answered, bouncing excitedly to the closet to get my shoes on. Mittens peeked out of the closet but when she saw Edward was still there, I'd swear she scowled and went back to her shoe. I shook my head at the silly kitten and hurried out toward the door.

Edward was instantly by my side holding the door closed. "Bella, please, I mean, are you sure? Can't we stay inside? We haven't had a chance to play any of the other games yet."

"Well, bring them with and we can play after we're done eating."

He looked around nervously. I could tell he was trying to find an excuse to not go. "Edward, please, I seriously need to get out of here. Do you want me to leave for good?" I asked taunting him.

He gasped and then growled. That was not the response I expected. "You're mine!" He gripped me tightly. "You will not leave!"

Next thing I knew, we were flying through the house and we stopped suddenly in Edward's room. "MINE!" he growled slamming the door, causing it to splinter.

"Oh, shit," I heard through his open balcony doors.

Bright flashes of light came bursting in, blinding me for a moment, and I fell back against his couch. I looked up to see Emmett holding Edward back and Jasper soon joined him.

"Basement?" Emmett asked and Jasper nodded his head yes.

"Wait, no!" I couldn't let them lock him up. I ran to Edward and Emmett tried to pull him back away from me because he was snapping his teeth.

"Watch it, Bella. I don't want you to get hurt," he warned.

"Please, let me just try and settle him down, don't take him away from me."

"It's not safe..." Emmett started to explain.

"NO! You can't have him! He's MINE!" I shouted at them and both Jasper and Emmett looked at me stunned. I didn't know what had gotten into me but I couldn't let them take him from me. "Let him go!" I said yanking at their arms and making no difference. "You can't have him, he's MINE! LET GO!" I said stomping on Emmett's foot and shouting. I started pounding on Emmett's chest, knowing if I could get him to let go, Edward could probably get away from Jasper.

"Jesus, Bella, settle down," Emmett said shooting a look at Jasper.

I felt my body relax but my mind was in a panic and my heart was still exploding in pain. They couldn't take him from me. I couldn't be away from him.

They started to move him out the door but I used the last of my energy and jumped on Edward's back, holding onto him for dear life. "You can't take him without taking me! He's not going anywhere without me!" I didn't know why I felt like this but I knew I had to be with him. It was hard to be away from him now and it was my fault he was upset. I couldn't let him go away mad. I nuzzled my face into his neck, "He's mine, and you can't take him," I cried. "Please," I sobbed.

I felt a hand grab me and pull me off of Edward's back. I fought at first and then I realized it was Edward who was holding me in his arms. "Don't cry," he whispered sadly and wiped my tears.

"I'm sorry, I promise I won't leave; please don't be angry with me," I begged. I didn't want them to lock him in the basement.

I looked up to see if Emmett and Jasper were letting him stay but they were nowhere to be seen.

He hugged me against him. "I'm not upset, I'm sorry, Bella, they were just trying to make sure I didn't hurt you. I told you I was not safe."

That just made me mad. "Oh, shut up! You are, too! This is ridiculous; they're making a huge deal out of a little argument! They should stay out of our business," I yelled hoping they could hear me.

Edward was staring at the floor sadly. I'd had it with pouty Edward. I grabbed his hand and yanked, knowing I couldn't move him unless he agreed. "Come on, we're getting out of here. We're having our picnic whether you like it or not!"

He looked like he was about to protest.

"Don't even start with me," I growled at him and to my surprise he shrunk back and nodded. He got up and let me pull him to the door. I let out a sigh of relief. I think I was finally making some progress with him. I smiled to myself.

This 'mine' thing wasn't so bad after all.

a/n thanks for reading please review.


	18. Chapter authors note

Sad authors note :'{

Hey everyone I am sorry this is not an update. I do have chapters to post on my three stories but I am hesitant to do so.

Turns out someone stole several of my stories and posted them on Watt Pad. We were able to get them down but it was very upsetting and now I am nervous about posting.

Dollybigmomma wrote most of the last couple chapters in EDEN and has decided against posting the next chapter at this moment while we wait to see if the little thief is going to try and resurface again under a different name.

I am sorry to have to hold off like this. You know how much I enjoy sharing my stories with all of you but this chick was stealing them as I wrote them and I don't want her to do it again.

She had stolen all boys camp, Bella's return, and EDEN along with Quiet girl and Peer Pressure.

The last one broke my heart because Peer pressure was my first fan fiction and even though it is rough and un edited it is still my favorite story. It was my first and just very upsetting that she took it.

The fact that she was stealing EDEN as we wrote it was more than a little scary for us and I hope you all will bare with us as we pull ourselves together after this shock.

Please be patient with us. We will post again soon I hope.

Lots of love

Savanna Van Smutsmut


	19. Chapter 19

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers, and Dollybigmomma worked her kitty magic in this chapter. She really wrote most of it because she is that awesome. Don't you just love her!**

**Chapter 19 – Pissed**

**Bpov**

Edward stopped short on the back porch. I was determined to get away from the house and have a nice quiet picnic with him in the woods out back. I pulled on him, but to no avail. I couldn't move a Cullen if my life depended on it. They were all too strong.

I was about to snap at him again when I noticed the panicked look in his eyes. "Bella, please," he begged but I didn't understand what he was asking.

"I need to get out, Edward. Are you coming? I really want to go for a walk and have a picnic," I said pointing out the basket Alice had packed.

Just then, the whole house was filled with an ear piercing scream.

Without any thought, I ran toward it and Edward did as well, but I quickly found he moved much faster than me and I barely saw a flash of him move into Tanya's room.

"OH, MY GOD! I'M GOING TO DIE OF RABIES!" Tanya screamed and I heard rustling in the blankets.

"MY FOOT! MY FOOT! MY GOD, MY FOOT! IT GRABBED MY FOOT!" she cried.

I poked my head in the room to see Tanya fighting with an eye mask and kicking the blankets off. She started jumping around the bed like she was on fire. Edward grabbed her quickly and set her on the vanity in her room.

"Mittens," was all he said and started looking through the blankets. A lump in the covers moved suddenly and Edward dove into the middle of the bed trying to grab it. The cat shot under the pillows and down behind the head of the bed.

"GET IT! GET IT!" Tanya screamed still jumping up and down on her vanity. She was making the whole thing shake and suddenly the front legs gave way, sending Tanya flying to the floor. She fell hard and slid, her head going up under the bed. She let out a bloodcurdling scream. "IT"S GOT ME BY THE HAIR! OH, GOD! IT'S GOING TO PULL ALL MY HAIR OUT!" she screamed. "EDWAAAARD! HEEEELP!"

I couldn't help it. I fell across the bed laughing hysterically while Edward had hold of Tanya's ankles trying to dislodge her from beneath the bed without hurting her. I could hear Mittens hissing for all she was worth and her body bumping the bottom of the box springs as she hopped and tugged, waging an all out tug of war with Edward, using Tanya's hair as the rope.

Edward finally pulled hard enough to pull Tanya loose, which shot Mittens across the hardwood floor in a spin, her mouth still full of a huge lock of Tanya's strawberry blond hair. Tanya jumped up and threw herself into Edward's arms, sobbing into his neck. Somehow during all the commotion, she had managed to wet herself, making her smell horrible. The look on Edward's face was comical as he tried to hold her away from his body. He tried to put her down but she wrapped herself around him, getting urine on his clothing. He was beginning to look ill.

Edward finally got her off of him and she started stomping her feet as she ranted, the sound of wet silk slapping together. It really was gross. "You people really need to get a freaking exterminator out here!" she cried trying to climb back into his arms. "One of these days the rats are going to just tote me out the front door!" I could barely hear Emmett howling in laughter somewhere in the house.

The flowing Capri length pajama pants she was wearing were trimmed with some sort of fluffy fur trim, the edges of which fluttered with every foot stomp. Suddenly, Mittens came flying from under the bed and attacked Tanya's leg. She latched onto the hem of her pajama pants with her teeth while batting at the fluffy trim. The kitten's back claws landed into the top of Tanya's foot, making her scream out in pain.

"OH, GOD! IT'S BACK! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!

Tanya was dancing around with a wet butt, a pissed pussy, and Edward, who was trying to grab Mittens as Tanya twirled and kicked, trying to dislodge her. Mittens was holding on for dear life now, still hissing and jerking on the fur trim, and now she was pissed at Edward and growling.

I was laughing so hard I had slipped to the floor and was trying not pee myself. Edward was already suffering badly enough as it was. He finally managed to grab Mittens and jerk her loose from Tanya's pant leg, ripping the trim off entirely. He sat the kitten on the floor and she trotted off back towards our room, proudly carrying her newly won prize with her.

"YOU! THAT DEMON BELONGS TO YOU?" Tanya screamed at me. I was still literally rolling on the floor and Edward had to grab her to keep her from pouncing on me. "IF THAT THING COMES NEAR ME AGAIN, I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!" she screamed at me. She tried to wrap herself around Edward again, trying her best to kiss him while she whimpered about how horrible I was to unleash my unholy little beast on her. I was still laughing too hard to get up.

Edward blocked her advances and managed to shove her into her bathroom to clean herself up. She continued to bitch the whole time, threatening me with bodily harm. "AND YOU OWE ME NEW PAJAMAS! THESE COST OVER THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS!" she screamed through her bathroom door at me.

I couldn't resist.

"That's too bad, Tanya, because they obviously weren't worth it if all you were able to attract with them was another pussy. Maybe you should just smear some tuna on your cooch next time. It's cheaper and will blend with your already naturally pungent body odor."

Tanya screamed and I could hear stuff still being thrown in her bathroom as Edward and I ran from her room, laughing all the way down the hall.

We stumbled toward the stairs and I sat down to catch my breath. I looked up at Edward and he smiled at me.

"Mittens is growing on me, although I don't appreciate the side product of this attack," he said looking down at his damp clothes disgusted. "Do you mind if I shower first?"

"Please do," I said still laughing. "I should make sure Mittens made it back to my room."

"Yes, that would be a good idea. We'll need to be more careful about shutting the door when we leave." When he finished his sentence he frowned. "Bella, I'm sorry that I lost…"

I cut him off. "Don't worry about it, Edward. I get it. I know why I have to stay, and just so you know, you're under the same restrictions," I said pointing a stern finger at him faking seriousness.

He smiled sadly. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I'm not sure what it is, but apparently it's affected us both."

"It's fine, Edward. I know it's not your fault. We'll figure it out, but after you take a shower," I said scrunching my nose at him.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Right. I'll meet you in your room. I think it's probably best if you avoid the first floor and Tanya for a while."

I just shrugged. "I could take her." He just shook his head again as he laughed.

"Silly kitten," he muttered as he headed for his room. I wondered quietly if he was referring to me or Mittens.

I guess I would never know.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	20. Chapter 20

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers and Dollybigmomma is my beta genius!**

**Chapter 20 – Sunshine on My Shoulder**

**Epov**

I stripped quickly and hopped in the shower, relieved to get the sick essence of Tanya off of me. Honestly, I didn't know why my father kept her around. I truly wanted nothing to do with her.

My mind drifted back to the image Alice had shown me with Bella swollen with my child and a baby in my arms, kissing her. Before I knew what was happening my body was reacting. I looked down shocked. I'd never had this problem ever in my entire life. I felt like such a cad.

I knew I'd taken advantage of Bella when I held her in my arms to comfort her. It was completely improper of me. And then I held her hand as we rushed to the stairs away from Tanya's room. Again, not something a gentleman should do unless he was betrothed to the woman. My shame and annoyance with myself took care of the problem I'd grown and I pushed myself out of the shower, toweling off quickly and getting dressed. I looked out the window and smiled, as the sky was now overcast and I could join Bella for the picnic without worry. She had already noticed many of my differences and I didn't want to point out any more. I was just waiting for her to find one that freaked her out enough to want to leave and never return.

I didn't want to think of that now and hurried to her room. I found her sitting cross-legged on her bed sharing a sandwich with Mittens. She was smiling and giggling as the kitten grabbed her hand and held it to its mouth so it could lick the peanut butter from her fingers.

The scene was perfect and seemed like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

I stood silently watching her talk to and coo over the kitten. I didn't feel jealous of her now. I knew Bella would give me attention if I asked for it. It just wasn't appropriate to ask for it. I also didn't know how to go about asking to court her so I could officially hold her hand. I would have asked her father, and her mother would have set up a time for me to come sit in the parlor supervised, but that just didn't seem to fit what we had. I already spent so much unsupervised time with her it was shameful.

"Edward?" she called to me. "What's wrong, why the glum face?" she asked.

I forced a smile and found my seat. I just shook my head at her dismissing her concern, but then she stood up and walked over standing in front of me. "We're going for our picnic and you're going to tell me what's bugging you."

She grabbed the basket and I took it from her and held the door open for her.

"Make sure Mittens doesn't get out," she called.

I looked over to see Mittens lapping at the peanut butter stuck in her mouth. It was pretty funny and caused me to smile. I shut the door. "She's safely on the other side." I smiled down at Bella and she grabbed my hand and started pulling me down the hall.

She was holding my hand and it made my body tingle. Did she know what that meant to me? No, of course not. She was not from my time. Hand holding was not seen as intimate in her time. If I could blush I would have.

I smiled when we stepped out on the porch and the sky was still overcast. I walked off the porch and she looked at me curiously for a moment and then shrugged. She dropped my hand making me pout internally, but then she did the silliest thing.

"Tag! YOU'RE IT!" she said hitting my shoulder and running off down the path.

I had to laugh. Did she really think she could outrun me? She had seen me move. I easily met her pace and looked over at her cheeks flushed with exertion. "Bella? You know you can't outrun me, right?"

She stopped and put her hands on her knees. "You're…cheating..." she huffed out.

I laughed. "How am I cheating?"

"No special powers!" she said pointing. "You have to run like a boy, not a Cullen," she finally said.

"I don't know if I can."

"Fine, close your eyes and count to twenty," she said crossly.

I just laughed and did as she said.

Once I was done, I followed her scent and wondered if she would consider that cheating. I decided to walk instead of run to find her and looked under odd things like my mother used to do when I was a child. I knew she knew where I was but it was fun to watch her pretend to look for me.

"Ollie Ollie Oxen free!" I called.

She didn't make a sound and I would have been worried if I didn't hear her heart beating strong and excited. I could hear her snicker a little as I walk past the rock she was hiding behind.

"I know you're here somewhere, little Bella, and I'm going to get you," I called. My mother would tease me the same way, catching me and tickling me until I cried uncle.

She snickered a little louder this time. I figured I would call her on it. "I heard you!" I jumped on top of the rock she was hiding behind and she shrieked laughing. "I found you!"

I offered her a hand and helped her up so she was on the rock with me. "You know, Edward, you would be an excellent father. I almost believed you didn't know where I was the whole time."

I looked at her shocked.

"Your turn to hide," she sang shoving me and I let her move me so she wouldn't fall off the rock. She closed her eyes and counted. I just sprang up into a neighboring tree so I could watch her.

She was giggling as she called "Ready or not, here I come!"

She looked around some of the larger trees and then she surprised me. My girl was smart. She smirked down at the deep impression my feet had left. "Gee, I wonder where Edward went. I guess I'm just going to have to go for a walk all by my lonesome," she snickered as she slammed her back into the tree I was in causing it to shake. "Who will be there to protect me from all the wild beasts of the forest?" She feigned fainting in fear, banging the tree again.

"What if there are ruffians? Who will protect my virtue?" She was just being silly now. This time I caught her glancing up at me.

I jumped down in front of her. "I'll be your Johnny on the spot, Ma'am, if you'll have me."

She smiled so widely. "You're too easy to find, Edward. My heavens, really, a tree? I would have thought you would have hid under a bolder so I would never find you."

"Maybe I wanted to be found?" I teased.

"I can understand that," she said smiling and headed further down the path. It had been a while since I'd this much fun.

"So, have you ever rock hoped?" she asked.

I couldn't stop the smirk on my face. I had, but not the way she was talking about.

"What's that look?" she said giggling.

"Oh, I rock hop, but I do it Cullen style."

She rolled her eyes. "I won't be able to keep up!" she complained.

I shrugged. "Maybe after you eat." We had just made it to the clearing so I laid out the blanket and goods that were sent.

I was shocked to find a thermos of blood as well. I nervously pulled it out and tried to hide it but it was too late; Bella had seen it when I was unpacking the basket.

She sat back casually, "So, are you going to tell me what's in the thermos?"

I shook my head no and she rolled her eyes at me.

"Fine, but if we're dating I don't think it should stay a secret long."

"Dating?" I asked shocked. "Are we courting?" I asked hopeful.

"Well, you insisted I'm yours and well, you're mine, so it would just make sense if we were…courting? Is that what you call it?"

"I, um, yes, I was, I wanted to but I didn't know how to, um…"

"Edward, it's cool, we're courting."

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. We were officially courting!

My chest felt like it was fluttering in excitement. I was courting Bella!

Of course, things could not continue to go well because that was the bane of my existence. I was drinking my blood watching her admire some flowers when the clouds suddenly split and the sun filled the meadow we were picnicking in.

I tried to make it to the shade but there wasn't enough. Parts of me sparkled as the sun peeked through the leaves. She was going to hate me. This would be the final straw and she would never want to see me again.

I felt her fingertips touch my hand. "Edward? Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

I opened my eyes, shocked that she wasn't running from me. I shook my head no and she pulled me by my hand into the sunlight. My body lit up and I was waiting for her to panic. I closed my eyes, focusing on the feel of the rays against my skin. I felt feather light touches across my skin and opened my eyes to find Bella tracing my jaw. She was smiling and I didn't understand why.

"You're so beautiful, Edward," she whispered and I looked down at her shocked and confused.

"I'm not, I'm…Bella, I'm..."

"A Cullen and you're beautiful," she smiled and walked back over to the blanket. "Who would have thought my beau would be more beautiful than me?" she smirked. She was teasing me!

"Bella, I'm not…you're…you're the most beautiful thing I've seen in over a century."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll bet you say that to all the girls."

"What girls?" I asked confused and she smiled and leaned in kissing my cheek. Her lips were so warm. Warmer than the sunlight. I couldn't hold in the contented sigh that escaped my mouth. When I opened my eyes she was smiling up at me.

"Thanks, Edward."

She was thanking me? She was the one that deserved thanks. She kissed me!

"For what?"

"For being you," she said and lay back on the blanket closing her eyes, feeling the warm sun on her skin.

Yes, I was sure of it. As she lay there before me with the sunlight playing off the red highlights in her hair and warming her skin to a delicate pink, she truly was the most beautiful thing I had seen in over a century.

And she was mine.

A/N Thanks for reading please review.


	21. Chapter 21

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers **

**Dollybigmomma is my beta sweet heart.**

**Chapter 21 – Tea Time**

**Bpov**

Edward was adorable. I couldn't stop smiling. We were courting. The smile he wore when we held hands was just beaming and I was not talking about his sparkly nature in the sun, though he was beautiful in the sunlight.

I didn't know what Edward was, but I truly didn't care at this point. He was just so sweet and doting by nature. I knew he couldn't be anything bad. I had a feeling that the key to knowing what he was lay in what he ate. Once he realized I had seen the thermos, he sat nervously but quietly slurping down whatever it was. He never offered me any and I was tempted to ask for a drink just to see if he would share and if I could drink whatever it was he was hoarding to himself.

Our walk back to the house was playful, as I talked him into playing leapfrog home. I did tease him for showing off. I'd swear he had to be part frog!

When we got back, Violet came out wearing a huge floppy hat and had a feather boa in her hands. I noticed Edward looked nervous and then Alice stepped out on the back porch. She smiled and nodded at him and then waved to me.

Violet jumped up and Edward caught her easily in his arms. I couldn't help but smile as she hooked the boa around his neck and kissed his cheek. She pulled off her floppy hat and handed it to me. I put it on smiling.

"We've been invited for tea," Edward informed me.

I followed him to the kitchen and he seemed to shift nervously. I watched his brow furrow as Alice poured the tea.

"What is this?" he asked.

I giggled a little. "Tea," I answered for Alice.

Edward raised his eyebrow in question at Alice. He made a small hissing noise.

"Oh, quit your whining, you big baby; it won't kill you to drink it."

Edward was full on pouting now and I thought it was hilarious.

Violet sipped her tea and I noticed Alice didn't pour herself a cup. I quickly chugged mine down and traded cups with Edward. I gave him a wink and I was awarded with a crooked smile. "So, Alice," I addressed her smiling, "Will you be having some tea as well?"

"Nope," she said easily. "Edward and I are on the same diet." She patted his shoulder and went to the counter to fetch the cookies.

"What kind of diet is that?" I asked.

She looked at Edward and smirked. "A special diet."

"I gathered that. I assume you and your siblings are all on the same diet along with your parents?"

She pushed the plate of cookies so it rested between Violet and I. "Yes. I'm sure Edward will tell you soon why exactly we have a special diet."

"Well, I assume it's because you're different. Your body probably metabolizes thing differently and so it would make sense that you couldn't eat normal foods."

Alice smiled at Edward and then patted his shoulder. He scowled at her and she giggled in return. I had a feeling I was missing something. "Violet, dear, it's time for your nap, come along," Alice called and her daughter followed her, leaving me sitting at a small children's table drinking tea in a floppy hat across from Edward, who was sitting in the tiny chair, a little too comfortable in his pink feather boa.

"Nice feathers," I said smiling.

I think he suddenly realized he still had it on and quickly whipped it off and hooked it on my neck. "I think it looks better on you."

I chuckled. "No, Sir, I definitely think you look much cuter in feathers."

"Hell yeah!" I heard a voice who I assumed was Emmett shout in agreement. "Edward rocks the boa!"

Edward looked down at his hands. I think the poor boy was embarrassed.

"You know, I think it's really sweet that you have tea with your niece. Not a lot of guys would be willing to do that."

He shrugged.

"I definitely think pink is your color, though."

He rolled his burgundy eyes at me.

"So, Edward, are you going to tell me what you eat or drink? Obviously not tea," I said motioning to the cup.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Bella, it isn't that simple and I'd rather not tell you right now."

"TELL HER!" Alice yelled from somewhere in the house.

"See, you're supposed to tell me," I said crossing my arms defensively.

"Bella, please."

Alice came huffing in and opened the fridge and then poured something into Edward's cup. It was a dark thick drink, similar to the color of his eyes, and I wondered if that was why his eyes were that color.

I leaned over to get a better look at it but Edward slid the cup away and hissed in Alice's direction.

"Oh, just get it over with, Edward!" she snapped and set the jug she had in front of me. Before I had a chance to inspect it, though, Edward snatched it and quickly put it back in the fridge. But while he was busy doing that, I grabbed his cup.

I brought it to my nose and sniffed. It smelled weird, like blood. Why would Edward want to drink something so gross? It wasn't a prank, though, because they had a huge jug of it in the fridge.

"Blood?" I asked

Edward seemed to cringe when I said the word.

"Animal blood to be more specific," Alice answered and took the cup from me and drank the contents smoothly.

I looked at Edward, who was now holding his head in his hands and looked to be in despair.

"Edward, are you alright? Do you need me to get you some of your drink?"

He looked up at me shocked. "Aren't you disgusted with me?"

I shrugged. "I know a recipe for blood pudding."

His brow furrowed. "Blood pudding? Bella, you realize that's all I can ingest?" he said pointing to the cup.

"Well, at least it's not going to waste. I mean, you have to drain the animal before you can eat it anyway, but you know, same thing really, blood or meat, consumption of animals and all that. Everybody's got to eat. I'm not a vegetarian. I'm cool with it."

Alice rinsed her cup in the sink and then walked over and hugged my shoulder. "See, I told you," she sang at Edward.

"So," I said clapping my hands together, "Now that that's over, shall we shake up the Boggle game so I can whip you and your eighteenth century vocabulary?"

Alice burst out laughing.

Edward looked stunned.

I handed my hat and boa to Alice to give back to her daughter and took Edward's hand. I had plenty of time to figure out what he was. I had a major clue, but right now I needed to settle my boy down. He needed to know that nothing he revealed to me would scare me away.

I was in this for good.

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	22. Chapter 22

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover**

**Chapter 22 – International House of…? **

**Bpov**

I sat on my bed thinking of Edward. He had slipped out so I could take a shower. I had planned on getting up right away but I wanted a moment alone to process everything that had been happening in my life. I was basically dating one of my kidnappers. I was constantly questioning my sanity. I kept telling myself that I wasn't really kidnapped. I mean, Edward would take me anywhere I wanted to go, I was sure of it. I just didn't know if he would ever let me get back to my old life. Sure, I would make allowances for him in my life. I didn't think I could a stand to be away from him, either. Maybe I was nuts.

I finally got up and walked into my shower. I must have been nuts if I wanted to give up this place for the rat hole I had lived in but you know, it was _my_ apartment. I just didn't feel like anything here was mine and really, there wasn't much to do. I knew I sounded like a bratty kid at the end of summer but I was starting to get bored.

Things hadn't really changed between Edward and I. Well, other than he had started dressing more formally and wore a huge smile constantly. It was cute, really. He even brought me flowers but nothing more than hand holding and a chaste kiss on the cheek was ever exchanged. I understood that he was more conservative and from a different time but I was going to go nuts if he didn't express some sort of want soon. I was a woman; I needed to be desired. I felt like I was courting a toddler with a crush. All of our interactions were so innocent that it was as if we weren't in a real relationship.

I let out a sigh of frustration.

"So, are you ready for me to step in?" Alice asked.

"I hope you're not talking about getting in the shower, Alice, because I just don't swing that way."

She let out a laugh. "No, silly, I'm talking about me interfering in your relationship with Edward. Jasper can sense your frustration. So I was thinking romantic weekend get away with some new sexy clothes."

"Edward doesn't like sexy."

"Ah, but this is Edward sexy. Something that covers everything but is tight and made of soft material. We can do your hair in a classic early 1900's style and…Ooooh, we should send you to our English Villa! That's the perfect setting for this!" Alice rambled on.

**Epov**

I didn't know what happened. One minute I was waiting for Bella to get out of the shower and the next I was on a plane headed for England. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous that we were traveling without a chaperone. It was quite improper but Alice seemed very insistent about us going. Bella had voiced a desire to visit England so I would not deprive her of the chance. It had been a while since I had been in England so it seemed like a good idea.

Bella had insisted that I join her for dinner this evening and I was nervous about the whole thing. I was sure she would be exhausted from the trip but she spent most of the flight sleeping on the plane curled up next to me. I had to admit, it was nice to have her holding onto my arm as she slept. It was something she did consciously before she fell asleep. She took my hand in hers and snuggled into my shoulder before she dozed off. She wanted to sleep next to me and it made me smile much wider than a sane person should.

When we arrived, I half wanted to just carry her off the plane but I suspected she would not like that. She wasn't one to make a scene and that probably would. I gently kissed her forehead and she nuzzled into me more and whispered my name in her sleep. "Bella, my sweet girl, we're finally here," I spoke softly in her ear.

At this she pulled me closer to her and put her face in my neck, kissing it softly in her sleep. A soft purr escaped my throat before I realized what had happened.

Apparently, that was enough to wake her because she smiled up at me and kissed my cheek.

"We're here."

She nodded her head okay and then stood up stretching. She let out a yawn.

"Still sleepy?" I asked.

She smiled. "I think a cup of coffee will get me up and going. I've had plenty of rest."

I grabbed our luggage and we stopped at a little café in the airport for her coffee. She did seem to perk up after that.

When we arrived at the villa, Bella smiled at the ivy covered building. "It's perfect," she said but I wasn't sure what she meant by that. I carried our luggage up to our respective rooms. I knew I would spend the evening in her room watching her sleep but I needed a place to dress for dinner.

Speaking of dinner, she was dressing for dinner now. I put on my evening suit and waited by her door to accompany her downstairs.

"Edward," she called softly and she knew I could hear her. It was nice to know that was one more secret that was out between us.

"Yes?" I called through the door.

"I need a hand, you my mind assisting me for a moment?" she asked.

There was no one else here to help her so it would have to be me. "Of course, what do you need?"

"Well, come inside, silly."

I carefully opened the door and saw her bare back. I quickly closed my eyes and cleared my throat. She laughed at me but I could function fine with my eyes closed, I had this place memorized. I could help her and not dishonor her at the same time.

"How can I assist you?"

She chuckled. "Come here, silly, and get the back buttons please. Whoever designed this dress must have had a dressing maid or something because this is insane! I'm all for authentic but would it have been so bad to add a zipper to this dress?"

I moved toward her voice and I was relieved when she grabbed my hand and directed it to the offending buttons. The dress was such a soft material I found myself rubbing my fingertips on it more than proper, so I tried to redirect my fingers. I brushed against her under clothes and they were a soft silk as well with a little lace edge.

I had to redirect my thoughts and half way through my buttoning she pulled away. "Oh, I almost forgot."

She didn't say what she was forgetting, she just pulled away and I heard the rustling of her dress.

"There, that is better. Can you believe I almost forgot my stockings?"

If I could blush, I would have. Lady's stockings were not a proper topic of discussion.

"Oh, I made you nervous again. I'm sorry, Edward. I promise, I'm trying to make this night more comfortable for you, I swear."

I felt bad for making her feel guilty for something a normal person would talk about with ease.

"Just let me get my shoes on," she mumbled. "I don't want to snag the stockings." I heard her messing with something. Then I smelled it. I faintly heard her curse the button hook. But all I could focus on was that heavenly smell of blood. I held my body rigid and tried to suppress the growl but I knew she heard it when she gasped.

My eyes popped open and I was shocked by what I saw. She was dressed in period clothing and looked amazing. The sweet perfume of her blood just made her all the more appetizing, I mean beautiful. I needed to leave but I couldn't move my feet. I was afraid if I did move, it would be to lunge at her.

"Edward? Are you alright?" she asked nervously.

"Go," I manage to growl out. She looked up at me shocked and then she looked down at her finger and then back to me.

"You drink blood," she said finally getting it.

I was trying to hold my breath and just nodded in her direction.

"Do you want mine?" she asked.

Was she barking mad? Why wasn't she running from me? "Go!" I snapped at her again.

She jumped a little. I could tell I was scaring her. I needed her to calm down; if she ran from me she would trigger my hunting instincts and I was barely hanging on as it was.

"Don't run," I growled lowly at her.

She looked at me and nodded as if she understood me. She got up and started moving toward the door. I started growling louder as my monster realized the most delicious meal ever was getting away. I closed my eyes again and focused on keeping my feet still. She had to get out alive. I needed her alive! How could Alice do this to me? She had to have seen this accident. I thought she loved Bella. How could she send us away for me to kill her? Bella had to get out of here alive!

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	23. Chapter 23

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen**

**Chapter 23 – Distractions**

**Bpov**

Edward was growling and holding very still. I could see all of his muscles tense through his shirt as he forced himself not to move. I realized he was holding his breath as well. "GO!" he snapped at me, and then it all fell into place. He drank animal blood. He drank blood and I was bleeding. He wanted to drink my blood. I knew in that instant what he was.

A vampire.

He didn't want to drink from me. He didn't want to hurt me. The longer I stood here the harder it would be for him to resist and I wondered if it wouldn't be so bad to share just a little if it was so enticing that he could barely control himself.

I looked at the blood dripping from my finger. To him this was wasted food. Would it hurt if I shared with him a little? I mean, I was bleeding anyway; it wasn't as if he was forcing me or hurting me. I was already hurt and wasting what looked to be the 'good stuff.' My boy looked like he was on the verge of springing on me.

I decided to take action. I moved quickly before he could protest or stop me. I wanted him to know that I knew what he was and accepted him. I knew he would never hurt me and would do anything to keep me safe so I decided sharing this with him would let him know that I knew and loved him anyway.

His teeth were gritted and his lips were pulled taunt against them. I quickly pushed my finger into his mouth along the front of his teeth, following them back into the curve of his mouth. My finger was now trapped in his cheek against his teeth.

His eyes popped open but before he could protest I told him to drink.

The pain reflected in his eyes let me know that taking from me cut to his very soul, but I wanted to be part of his soul. I wrapped my other hand up into his hair and pulled him down to me. "Drink, Edward, let me do this for you." I kissed his jaw and started to nibble his neck and ear. He pulled me flush against him and gripped the hand that was in his mouth tightly. Then I felt it. The pull. He sucked, keeping my finger safely tucked in his cheek but sucking hard.

I continued my assault on his neck, jaw and ear. A soft purring began to emanate from him just like when I played with his hair at night. The soft vibration of his chest was causing mine to react. His skin was so sweet that I had to tell him that he tasted so good. I wanted to taste him everywhere but I knew it would take time to get him to let me do that. Honestly, I was thrilled that this thing with my finger allowed me more freedom to attack him. I knew he would never let me nibble his neck if I didn't have a finger snack in his mouth.

"So, good," I moaned, "Edward, you taste so good," I whispered into his ear, tasting his skin again. I looked at his reaction and smiled when I saw his eyes roll back in his head. His arm tightened around my waist and he lifted me off the floor carrying toward the bed.

He laid me down, climbing over me as he did and pinned me to the bed. I continued my assault on his neck but also wrapped my legs around him. I was cursing having so many damn petticoats on right now. I took more liberty with him than I usually would and moved the hand I had in his hair down his back and grabbed his ass. I had been admiring it for too long not to grab it when I had the chance. He bucked forward and growled and I encouraged his bad behavior, running my hand over it again and giving it a small squeeze. His ass was solid like stone and perfect for cupping.

"So perfect," I whispered in his ear. "I want you so bad."

He purred in response and his hand slid down my body. I was hopeful he would grab something good and I was not disappointed when he cupped my ass and pressed me more into him. I groaned in pleasure. "Yes, more."

Then the phone rang. I was going to kill whoever it was that was interrupting us. It rang a few more times and Edward seemed to blink himself back into reality. Damn it. He looked down at me and pulled my hand from his mouth. He licked my finger and I realized it closed the wound. He was panting hard and pushed himself up off of me. "I'm sorry, I…" He looked down at me under him and quickly hopped off the bed moving to the door. "I didn't…I'm sorry. Are you alright?" he asked hesitantly.

I pouted. "I was until the dang phone started ringing."

He looked at me like I was nuts. He shook his head. "Do you feel alright? Are you light headed?"

"I'm fine!" I huffed holding up my finger. "You even fixed it. It isn't even bleeding anymore!"

I jumped up off of the bed grabbing the button hook for my shoe but he grabbed it from me before I could do anything. "Please, let me do the honors," he spoke softly like a gentleman and took the fire right out of me. I sighed and nodded, sitting down on the bed. He knelt down in front of me taking my foot into his lap. I pulled up the edge of my dress exposing my calf and he took in a deep breath. My stocking covered calf was causing my boy to get excited. He quickly did up one boot and moved to the next. He had my boots buttoned up and helped me stand.

"Well, Mr. Cullen, you're quite the boot hooker."

"I'm good with hookers," he said holding up the tool.

I couldn't help but start giggling and when he realized what he'd said his eyes went wide. "That's not...I didn't…I mean, I'm not…I haven't…"

"It's alright, Edward, I know you're not cavorting with hookers." I turned my back to him. "Do you mind finishing, since you're such a good hooker," I asked smirking.

I saw him swallow and looked down embarrassed as he took in the open back of my dress. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. I swear his eyes being closed while he touched my back just turned me on more.

His fingertips continued to graze my back, causing me to tingle all over. He was panting heavily when he finally finished. I turned to see his eyes were still closed as he took a few steps back. Before I could say anything he tripped on my suitcase I'd left on the floor. I quickly reached out for him but lost my balance and ended up falling down with him.

His eyes popped open and he looked at the offending suitcase. "That's not usually there," he said surprised.

I giggled from my perch on top of him. "No, it's not."

He looked up at me still in shock. "I usually don't trip."

I shrugged. "I usually do, maybe I'm rubbing off on you. Now that you got some Bella juice in you maybe you will be all clumsy, too," I teased.

He pouted. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Fall?"

"No," he held my hand, running a finger over my closed wound, "I shouldn't have taken from you."

"You didn't, I gave it to you." I leaned down and gave him a chaste kiss on his lips and moved to get up off of him.

He was looking at me confused.

"Edward, you're a vampire, a little blood drinking on occasion is to be expected. It's kind of sexy, too," I said opening my bedroom door, leaving him still in shock on the floor. His mouth was hanging open now as well. I stepped out the door, "Come along, Edward, we have plans this evening," I said a little too pleased with myself.

He didn't deny it. I knew what he was now. He was a vampire, a sweet, silly, reserved, shy vampire and I loved him.

A/N thanks for reading, please review.


	24. Chapter 24

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma left her beautiful beta marks all over this chapter making it great again like always! Thank you!**

**Chapter 24 – Yes, Dear**

**Epov**

I was gaping at Bella; there was no other way to describe it. Okay, yes there was, I was doing an awesome codfish impression.

She just kissed my lips and told me that my sucking her finger was sexy. I wouldn't have believed her but she did seem genuinely disappointed that the phone had rung.

Aside from that, I felt like an evil cad who was attacking a beautiful heroin. I mean, she was absolutely amazing in her period clothing. I knelt at her feet in a silent worship to finish buttoning her boots. It had been so long since I had completed such a task. My mother always asked me to button her boots and told me I was the best button hooker ever. Of course when I told Bella this, I realized my mistake. I basically said I cavorted with hookers and then I said I was a hooker. Thank heavens she saw the humor in it instead of taking me seriously.

Then she pulled up her gown exposing her calf. God, it was beautiful, just perfect and I remembered the warm feel of it wrapped around my body. Okay, this was not gentlemanly thinking. I needed to hurry and get out of here fast.

Just as I was about to disappear Bella pointed out that I had not finished buttoning her dress. I was now also silently cursing whoever designed this dress, most likely Alice. I would not have minded a zipper right now.

I closed my eyes not wanting to embarrass her by seeing her under clothes. It was very inappropriate as it was. My fingers grazed her hot flesh and I could feel her body heating up through the material that separated me from her skin. I couldn't pull my hands away and like the evil bastard I was I let them graze against her the whole time I worked closing her dress. I craved being near her and it was wrong of me to take it like that.

I was ashamed of what I did and planned on leaving the room with my eyes closed. As I said before, I had this whole house memorized. Of course there was one little flaw. I had not looked to see where Bella had put her suitcase. That was why I found myself on the ground with a beautiful woman laying on top of me.

She looked amused as I explained I didn't usually trip but when she said that it was her rubbing off on me because I had taken from her, I felt horrible. I tried to apologize to her but she insisted I hadn't taken from her but it was given to me. The next words from her mouth where downright shocking and the reason why I was sitting on the floor with my mouth open like a cod fish.

"Edward, you're a vampire, a little blood drinking on occasion is to be expected. It is kind of sexy, too."

I blinked in shock at her retreating form. She knew! SHE KNEW! She knew and it didn't seem like she cared! Was she insane? Oh, no! I'd driven her insane! My family's kidnapping and Alice's subsequent clothing torture must have been too much for her. She had finally broken.

I finally pulled myself up off the floor and hurried after her but decided to keep my distance and do my best to observe her. She seemed to be in a good mood but weren't most crazy people in pleasant moods most the time? I mean, unless you upset them but I didn't think I had upset her, at least not yet. You would have thought she would have been pissed that I drank from her or freaked when she realized I was a vampire.

I shook my head; no, she was insane. Crazy people didn't mind that stuff. In fact, I was aware of whole cults of crazies that worshiped vampires. I didn't think she was one of them. Could I have been completely wrong?

I found her standing by the door waiting for me in the foyer, a pleasant patient smile on her face.

"You ready to go?" she asked seeming rather pleased with herself.

I looked at her curiously, trying to find anything out of the ordinary, you know, twitches or ticks like crazy people had but she seemed completely calm.

She reached out for my hand and in turn I took hers and tucked it in my arm. She smiled at me and we started for the car. She looked at me sideways and giggled. "I'm not insane, you know. I can see the way you're looking at me."

Once again my mouth dropped open. I would have suspected she was a mind reader if I didn't know better.

"Edward, I knew you were something else from the moment I met you. Why does it surprise you that I finally figured it out?" she asked smirking.

SMIRKING, I say!

"You should be afraid of me," I explained.

She had the audacity to roll her eyes at me.

"Bella, I'm a very dangerous creature!"

She smiled, "Right, and a pretty sparkly one that's fun to play hide and seek with, that finds kittens frustrating and has frilly dress up tea parties with his niece. I'm absolutely shaking in my boots, Edward."

"I, I, I'm a terrifying creature!" I defended.

She smiled! She just smiled at me!

"I know," she shrugged. "Maybe I'm attracted to bad boys. Are you a bad boy, Edward?"

"Yes, I am," I answered too quickly before I realized her implication. "Wait, I mean..."

"Ah ah, Edward, you said you were a bad boy."

"But I didn't…"

"Oh, questioning authority just proves it!" she snickered.

"Who said you were an authority? What authority are you?" I complained digging myself in deeper.

"Why, I'm your girlfriend, Edward. Don't you know the only person who has higher authority than a girlfriend is a wife."

"I, um…" I was speechless. I loved that she called herself my girlfriend and said she had authority over me. In a sense, I suppose she did. I would do anything for her.

"Now that that's settled, Alice said there was a symphony playing tonight that we just could not miss."

Settled? How could this be settled?

She tapped my hand and tugged my immovable form. "Come along, Edward. I don't want to be late."

"Yes, of course." I finally gave in, but this would not be the end of it. I really was an evil frightening creature!

"Edward, dear?"

"Yes?"

"Stop sulking," she admonished.

"Yes, dear," I muttered.

I guess I had better get used to that answer…

A/N I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it. Thanks for reading please review.


	25. Chapter 25

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover.**

**Chapter 25 – Cuckoo's Nest**

**Epov**

I did my best to block out everything but Bella. It still amazed me that her mind was completely silent and so I did my best to focus on her words. Of course, as I did this it was difficult not to laugh as she decided she would try and do an English accent. The problem was, she was horrible at it. Silly girl.

I pushed everything to the back of my mind so it was just a quiet hum and focused on the crazy insane girl. She knew what I was but didn't seem to care. She teased me and all but laughed in my face when I told her I was a dangerous creature. Alice swore Bella would love me but I found it hard to believe. I would have to tell her the truth about myself one day. She would have to know that I had not always taken from animals. I would have to confess that at one point in my life I had hunted humans.

"Stop pouting, ole chap," she said trying to get me to smile. I needed to get out of my own head and focus on hers.

"Sorry, I'm just worried about you."

"Worried? Aye, don't be, pet, I got me ole codger wit' me to keep me safe." Worst Cockney accent ever…

"Ole codger? Seriously?"

"Well, I couldn't think of another name for you," she said without her bad accent.

"Ole codger? So you see me as a silly old man? No wonder you don't think I'm dangerous."

She giggled at me. Giggled! What was with girls and giggling?

She coaxed me forward with a finger and I leaned down to see what she wanted. She leaned up to my ear and said, "I know you're a dangerous, dirty old man and I like it."

I stood up straight, looking at her shocked. I straightened my tie and cleared my throat.

She whacked my arm laughing. "I'm kidding. My heavens, you should see your face."

I looked at her warily for a moment and then took her hand again, placing it on my arm so I could escort her into the building. I didn't know what had gotten into Bella this evening but she was being feisty. Honestly, I hoped she settled down. I didn't know how much more of this I could take.

She was humming as we walked and put a little more sway into her walk. She caught me looking down at her dress and smiled. "Don't you just love the way it swirls around when I move. It kind of makes me want to dance around like all those classic musicals I used to watch with my mom. I'm just waiting for the people around me to burst into song and dance. Have you ever seen that happen before?"

"In real life?" I asked hoping she didn't really want me to dance around the streets of England with her. "Yes, in all the years you've been alive have you ever seen it?"

I didn't want to disappoint her but the truth was I hadn't ever seen it. "I've kind of been in hiding the past century. Honestly, I don't get out much so I haven't seen it, I'm sorry."

"Hmm, I wonder what song would fit this evening?" She looked like she was seriously thinking and it was starting to worry me. I hoped she didn't want me to sing in the streets with her or anything.

"'_**The Hills are Alive'**_ just doesn't fit, we're not in '_**Oklahoma'**_, maybe something from '**Hello, Dolly**?' '_**Sunday Best**_?' Nah, oh, I know just the song that would fit you perfectly, Edward!"

I thought I might have just gone a little paler.

"'_**Going Courtin'**_ from '**Seven Brides for Seven Brothers**!'" she said excitedly and then broke into song.

She turned looking at me expectantly, humming part of the song.

"I, um, don't know it," I lied. Truth was, it was a very popular song in its day but I wasn't going to tell her that.

"Okay, I guess we'll skip the singing part," she said grabbing my hand and holding it over her head, twirling around and then falling into me as if we were dancing. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked so happy that I had to smile back at her.

"What has gotten into you, my little Bella?"

She smiled at me and shrugged. "I don't know, I just feel giddy. I guess it just feels good to be out of the house, to be out somewhere I always wanted to see, and to be with you." Her cheeks darkened a little at her last words, but it was some of her first words that stuck in my head and had me feeling guilty. It felt good to get out. The only reason she hadn't been out was because of me.

"Hey, no pouting, ole codger!" she said giggling and practically skipped to the entrance.

I was thankful we had our own box because Bella was not acting like herself. When the music started she stood up and started swaying and dancing in the box. She finally coaxed me out of my seat to accompany her in a slow dance. It was nice to hold her in my arms but I couldn't help but worry about her. Maybe her being kidnapped had been too much for her delicate human psyche and now she had finally snapped.

I brushed a stray curl away from her cheek and she smiled up at me. I would take care of her even if she was insane. I would love her and make sure she had the best care ever. I would make sure she was happy even in her insanity. No one would ever be allowed to upset her. She would have everything her heart desired. I would make sure of it.

I walked with her after the show, heading back to the flat we had in town. She thought it was the villa but it was far from our country villa that we would be going to tomorrow night. She was humming and swaying like she had been before. I was thankful she was settling down a little.

That was until I felt her being snatched from my arm. I turned to see two men chuckling darkly. I couldn't believe I missed them. I had tuned everyone out and left my love unsafe. I growled darkly. These men would pay.

There was one motioning to me. "Come on, little boy. If you're good we will let you watch."

That was it. I snatched the arm that was stretched out and snapped it and stomped him to the ground. "No one touches my girl!" I roared.

The other guy was looking at me nervously and had put a knife to my beautiful Bella's tender throat. I roared at him furious that he'd dare spill my blood!

"Drop the knife and I'll let you keep your arm," I growled.

It was then I realized Bella was singing the Batman theme song and looked up at the guy completely unafraid and sang "Batman!"

The guy looked between the two of us and then the unconscious man on the ground.

He shoved Bella in my direction and I caught her easily in my arms. I moved to knock out the guy and just before I did Bella let out another "Batman!" right in his face.

Saints above, she had really lost it.

I threw her over my shoulder and leaped up to the roof. She let out another "Batman!"

Then she grabbed my backside.

"Oh, your ass is so beautiful," she said rubbing it and I pulled her over my shoulder and cradled her in my arms in an attempt to get her to keep her hands to herself.

It didn't work; her hands went to my face. "You're such a pretty man. I just want to lick you, can I lick you?"

I stood her in front of me and then she looked around noticing the chimneys. Thankfully, her attention span was short and she started singing _**Chim Chim Charoo**_ from **Mary Poppins. **She'd obviously gone off the deep end.

I had to get her home.

A/N hope you had a laugh at Bella's expense.

BATMAN!

Just had to shout it myself. Answers as to what the heck is up with her are coming up next chappy. Thanks for reading please review.


	26. Chapter 26

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen!**

**Chapter 26 – High Tea**

**Epov**

"Here, little girl, drink your tea." I had discreetly dissolved some sedatives in the tea in hopes she would sleep off whatever it was.

"You don't like tea, you like ME!" she giggled.

I planned on calling Carlisle as soon as she was asleep and asking what the hell could have happened.

"Would you like a drink, too, before bed?" she said raising the hand she had cut earlier.

I took it and kissed it softly. "No, but thank you for the offer."

"Mmm, I like you. You taste sooo good. Can I lick you? I just want to suck you for a little while," she said trying to pull me forward. My heavens, she was insane!

"Just finish your tea first, Love," I encouraged.

"Love? You love me?" she asked almost in tears. I was a little panicked. I didn't mean to upset her. The next words out of her mouth were just amazing. "I think I love you, too. Why does it hurt when you go away?" she asked with the innocence of a child.

I kissed her forehead. "I'm pretty sure it's love. I've never felt this way about anyone else, so it's the only explanation." I said this as I sat on the bed and cradled her in my arms like the innocent child she was. I wished she would just settle down and drink her tea.

"Me neither. I've never felt like this either." She took a sip of her tea and then looked up at me with her wide innocent eyes. "Edward, it feels so good when you hold me, can you stay with me?" She let out a yawn.

I brushed back the hair from her face. "Just sleep, little girl, you know I'll always be here."

She smiled. "Good, cause it hurts when you're not."

My heart broke a little at her words. It hurt her when I was not there. I would be sure to remedy that because it hurt me when I was away from her as well.

She finally finished her tea and fell asleep in my arms. Her words begging me to stay with her rang in my ears and I didn't want to let her go. I finally shifted her onto the bed, wrapping her in the blanket so she would be warm. To my surprise, she turned into me and snuggled into my chest, holding on to me tightly. She really didn't want to let me go.

My sweet beautiful little girl. I hoped she would feel better when she woke up in the morning.

I pulled my cell phone out and hit the speed dial for Carlisle.

"Edward? Is everything alright?" he asked worried.

I spoke in a soft whisper knowing he could hear me fine but I didn't want to disturb my girl. "No, something is wrong with Bella. I have her sedated now but she was acting strange earlier."

"Strange how?"

"I don't know, singing…dancing..."

Carlisle chuckled a little.

"It's not funny!" I growled a little too loudly and as if on cue, my little Bella sang "Batman!" in her sleep.

"What was that?" Carlisle asked.

"That's what I'm talking about."

"Were you watching Batman?" he asked and I wanted to roll my eyes and slap my forehead.

"No, we were not watching Batman! She's just flipped out and gone nuts on me. She said she felt giddy."

"Giddy?" he asked confused.

"Yes."

"What were you doing just before this behavior started?"

"Um, we were just walking to the symphony."

"Well, what were you doing before that?"

I felt embarrassed and ashamed. I didn't want to tell him what I had done, that I had touched her and drank from her.

"Edward, what were you doing before you were walking? Did she ingest anything?"

"I, um, no…"

"Are you sure? You don't sound so sure of yourself."

I let out a sigh. "She cut her finger."

"Son, are you okay?"

"Yes, I told her to go but she wouldn't, she…"

"What?"

"She stuck it in my mouth."

He let out a sigh. "I know what it is, she'll be fine, just let her sleep it off."

"What is it?"

"Did her mouth come in contact with your skin while you fed on her?"

I flinched when he stated that I fed on her. I didn't like that.

"Edward," he said a little more sternly, "Did her mouth come in contact with your skin?"

"Yes," I whispered disappointed in myself.

"Fine, she'll be fine in the morning."

"So what, my skin made her loopy?"

"Well, when we feed, our body secretes an enzyme that settles down our prey. It makes them feel euphoric so they won't fight us and will often cling to us as we feed instead of fight us off."

I never felt so ashamed in my life; that was exactly how Bella had behaved.

"Edward, she'll be fine. You'll have to be careful around her. The enzyme can be highly addicting. It's best if you not feed on her or around her again."

I couldn't stop the soft whimper that escaped me. I had drugged my Bella and I didn't even know it.

"Edward, she's going to be fine. There's nothing to be upset about."

Bella snuggled into me closer, nuzzling her nose into my side. Was she only wanting to be near me because of the enzyme? My heart broke a little. There were no enzymes involved in my need for her. I hoped she would not hate me in the morning.

**Bpov**

I woke up and realized I was not alone. My arms were wrapped around Edward's cool stone body and my face was buried into his side. He smelled so sweet. I took in a deep breath before I mumbled good morning.

He looked down at me nervously. I tried to move but then realized I was wrapped tightly in a cocoon of blankets. "Wow, you really know how to tuck a girl in," I joked, but he didn't laugh.

He still had a worried look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" I asked rubbing my face. I was sure I looked like the living dead because I felt like it.

"Bella, I need to speak to you about what happened last night."

I tried to remember what had happened but it was hazy. I remembered making out with Edward on the bed but it was all blurry after that.

I groaned. I probably freaked out my poor Victorian boy. "I'm sorry, Edward. I really don't remember much of last night. If you're worried about getting me pregnant, I'm on the shot; it should be good for another month."

His mouth dropped open.

Okay that was not what he wanted to talk about and apparently we didn't have sex. I cleared my throat, "So, you were saying?"

He looked me up and down and then moved off the bed. I knew I had morning breath but that was a little hurtful.

"Bella, I need to tell you something and I'm worried that you'll be upset with me."

Oh, that was why he was running away. I held my hand up to stop him. "Edward, you mind if I take a shower first? I'd really like to be dressed more comfortably before you say what you have to say."

He looked at me nervously and nodded yes sharply. Before I knew what was happening, he was behind me and quickly unbuttoning my gown. Before I could even turn my head and thank him, he was gone.

Oh, my poor skittish boy, what was I going to do with him…

I took my time in the shower, not sure if I was ready to face him being upset with me. I didn't want him to pull away from me any more than he had already. I dressed slowly and made my way out to the dining room where he was sitting waiting for me.

There was a plate of food sitting in front of the chair I assumed he wanted me to sit in. It made me pout more because it was on the opposite side of the table from him.

"Look, Edward, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Whatever it is, just tell me and I promise I won't do it again," I pleaded defeated and slumped down in my chair.

I was surprised by his sudden appearance at my knees and the pained look on his face. "You did nothing wrong. It was me," he rasped out.

I was confused now. "What?"

He let out a breath, "I drugged you on accident."

Drugged me? "What?" I asked sounding even more confused.

"What do you recall of the last eve?" he asked pained.

I struggled trying to get my mind right. "I was getting dressed; we were going to the symphony. You were helping me with my buttons, you're a good hooker," I said with a smirk.

He looked down shameful and then up at me with such heavy worry in his eyes. I took his face in my hands. "Edward, please just tell me. It can't be as bad as you think."

He let out a sad whimper and I wanted to clutch him to me and promise him everything would be alright.

"I…" He huffed trying to gain courage and then looked up at me. "I drank from you."

I remembered my finger being cut and him telling me to go, the connections being made.

"Vampire," I whispered and he cringed as if I'd slapped him. He tried to pull away but I followed after him. "Hey, so I know, it's no big deal, right? You didn't tell me."

He looked down at me and my heart broke.

"Edward, I don't care if you're a vampire. I knew you were something else from the beginning. Now I know, so it's no big deal."

"No big deal?" he snapped, "I'm a killer, Bella! I could have killed you last night. I took from you! Don't you understand?"

I was not going to let this go any further. "Enough! I will not have you whining and crying like a baby that you're a monster and not safe to be around. I've been around you, Edward Cullen, and I know you better then you think. You may be a vampire but that doesn't mean you're not a good man as well."

"Bella…" he started but I wasn't having it.

"Enough!" I put my hand up. "You're MINE! Don't you dare try and take that away from me or buddy, you'll regret it!" I said and stormed out of the room. He was not going to make this an issue. I would not allow it!

**Epov**

I stood there stunned and heard the bedroom door slam. That did not go the way I thought it would. Yes, she was upset with me but not the way I thought she would be. I didn't even get to explain the enzyme thing to her.

I wished more than ever that I could read her mind.

Then I heard it, a soft cry coming from her room. I could tell she was trying to hide it from me but she couldn't. I moved slowly to the door and tapped lightly, afraid of the wrath I might meet on the other side.

I heard a sniffle and then a soft come in.

I opened the door and looked in nervously. "Bella?"

"You can't leave me," she whispered, her eyes full of tears and I was at her side instantly. I never wanted to see my sweet girl cry. I pulled her into my arms, trying to soothe her. "I'm so sorry, Love. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Promise me," she looked up at me with pleading eyes.

I could never deny her anything. "I promise. You're mine and I'm yours, Love. I promise, forever."

She snuggled into me and let out a relieved sigh. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

I looked down at her surprised and smiled. "I needed yelling at. It happens sometimes," I said with a shrug.

She giggled and my world felt right again.

"So, pretty girl, are you going to let me finish what I was telling you?"

She blushed and I couldn't resist. I kissed her forehead.

"Alright then, what I was saying is, my body makes an enzyme when I feed. It acts like a drug, so when I drank from your finger and you um..." I cleared my throat recalling the events of the eve before. I pointed to my neck and she smiled.

"When I nibbled back?" she said smiling.

I nodded yes. "It, um, kind of made you a bit…" how did I put this, "Off."

"Off? Like asleep?"

"No, off, like off your rocker," I clarified and she laughed at me.

"Good to know." She leaned up and kissed my cheek.

"You're not upset with me?" I asked confused.

"Why would I be?"

"Because I drugged you!"

"From what you're telling me, I drugged myself," she said with a shrug.

"Bella."

"Edward, what is with you and making everything an issue? Let it go. Big deal, I got high off my boyfriend, some girls would see that as a good thing."

Boyfriend?

I must have had a hopeful expression on my face because she just smiled at me. "Come on, boyfriend, I need to eat and then you're taking me sightseeing! We're in ENGLAND! WOO HOO!" she shouted and I wondered if the contact high was still in effect, but she seemed more normal than before.

Normal for Bella, anyway.

A/N So who wants to lick Edward? I do!

Thanks for reading please review.


	27. Chapter 27

All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers

Dollybigmomma is my beta lover

Chapter 27 Hands Down

**Bpov**

Our trip to England was amazing. We took our time, spending a little over a month traveling around Europe. I felt like a kid running around in a toy store. I was seeing everything for the first time and Edward had seen everything before. He followed me around patiently, smiling as my excitement bubbled over.

We spent the evenings talking and taking in shows and more sites. He took me wherever I wanted but we often traveled by rooftop in the evening. He didn't trust the ruffians that lived on the street. I thought it was silly because he could easily handle any 'ruffians' as he called them.

I picked out Christmas gifts for my mom and dad. Edward encouraged me to do it. I didn't know if I would see them this Christmas but at least I knew I would be able to send them something.

I made Edward blood pudding and he said it was almost edible. I didn't agree with him. I thought it was nasty and he thought that was hilarious. Needless to say, I no longer tried to feed Edward. I was curious about his enzymes that seemed to make me high. I didn't remember much of that night just that I really enjoyed myself, a lot.

I was careful about not cutting myself around Edward again. I could tell he was worried about it happening again. He would watch me make dinner nervously and offer to cut the food up for me. He didn't like me handling sharp objects. He was just going to have to get used to it though.

We were heading back to the estate today. Strangely enough, it felt like going home. The one good thing that happened on the trip that I hoped continued at home was that Edward had been sleeping next to me. I knew it was highly inappropriate to him but when I told him that I missed him he quickly gave in. Still, he super wrapped me in the blankets until I couldn't move and then pulled me close. I think it was his way of making me keep my hands to myself. I noticed when my hands touched anywhere other than his arm or hand that he got nervous. Of course I did my best to touch him as much as possible in as many innocent ways that I could think of.

He had actually gotten used to me leaning my head on his shoulder when we walked and I pulled his arm into mine instead of just holding hands. I hugged it to my body and he was very careful not to move his fingers at all for fear of brushing against my breast. He learned that one the hard way. I had to say, I enjoyed the accident and his response was adorable. The bumbling apology and swearing up and down that he did not mean to grope me was just cute. I exacerbated his flustered state by walking straight into his outstretched frantic hands. Yup, I put my boob in his hand, which he jumped back from immediately with wide eyes. And when Edward jumps back, I mean he _really_ jumps back. He didn't appreciate that I collapsed to the ground in a fit of giggles after that.

Apparently, I was just asking to sully my reputation and he would have none of that. I felt bad after he stomped away. As soon as I registered he was gone, a pout hit my face and I called to him to come back. To my surprise, he dropped down from a tree I was next to.

"I'm sorry, Love, I couldn't leave you," he said shamed.

I took his hand and kissed it. "I don't want you to leave me. I'm sorry for upsetting you."

He took my hand in both of his and walked us home. I knew then I would have to go at his pace or get nothing at all. It just was a gruelingly slow pace.

**Epov**

Bella was deep in thought as we flew home and all I could think about was that I didn't know what was putting that worried look on her face. She turned her head and smiled at me, then rested her head on my shoulder.

She had been doing it a lot and I just couldn't pull myself away to tell her to stop. It wasn't long that she was asleep and snuggling against my stone side. I didn't understand how she would feel comfortable but I could see the difference at night when she slept with me next to her instead of having me across the room. I had spent our time traveling testing to see if she really needed me in bed. I refused to be seduced because if anyone could break me it would be my Bella. But I would honor her virtue if it was the last thing I did.

She was right though. She was restless and pouty when I would leave her bed so I would stay because my beautiful girl had me wrapped around her finger and I never wanted to see that cute little pout on her face again.

Of course, since we were on the plane, her hands were free to roam and that was making me nervous. One snuggled up by my neck and the one that was on my chest was now slowly sliding downwards. I took it in my hand to keep it from moving any further but was surprised when she hitched her knee over mine. My hand flashed to it, holding it still but then her hand ended up dropping right to my lap.

I looked down at it in shock, my eyes darting up to hers and around to see if anyone saw what happened. I wanted to grab it but not draw attention to it at the same time. Just as I was reaching for it, she squeezed. I bit my lip to hold in the groan as my whole body started to stiffen in response. This was completely unacceptable. I was taking advantage of my girl in her sleep, proving what a nasty ole geezer I really was. I took in a deep breath to calm myself, trying to ignore the massaging Bella was doing in her sleep and get the resolve to remove her hand. I double checked that it was all clear and quietly moved her hand back to my chest.

Her fingertips rubbed over my nipples and my eyes darted to hers again. I would have to remember to never travel without a large blanket to keep her hands in place. She nuzzled closer to my neck and moaned my name. Though I appreciated that she was thinking of me, I wished she would not do it in such a way that I found arousing. The last thing I needed to do was scare the poor girl off.

I felt her hot breath on my neck and then her warm tongue ran a line of fire on my skin. That was it. I couldn't take it anymore. I carefully lifted Bella from her seat and cradled her in my arms like a baby, keeping her hands and face a safe distance away from everything. I leaned down and kissed her forehead, apologizing silently for not being able to handle her but I knew she would understand. It wasn't that I didn't want a physical relationship with her; it was just that I really needed us to do it in the proper order for me to feel comfortable proceeding with it. I just hoped I would be able to hold out and do it right as well. I wanted no regrets between us because when you lived forever, every little regret felt huge.

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	28. Chapter 28

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen!**

**Chapter 28 Soldiering on**

**Bpov**

When the plane landed and Edward woke me, I noticed he had a slightly panicked look in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

He just nodded yes, proving he wasn't.

"Was it something I did?"

His eyes widened. "No, no, of course not."

"Did I say something that upset you in my sleep? I know I talk."

He smiled and pulled me to him, kissing my forehead. "No, you only said my name and I don't find that offensive at all."

I looked at him again; I was still unsure but followed his lead out of the airport to a waiting car. He hopped in the driver's side and we were off, headed for home. I kept looking at him trying to figure out what was going on with him but I figured I would have a chance to talk with him tonight.

While we were driving home from the airport, Edward suddenly started speeding really fast. I wasn't sure what was going on. We pulled up to the house squealing to a stop. Edward grabbed my hand and kissed it apologizing. "I'm sorry, Love, but I'm needed," he said hopping out of the car, leaving me to follow by myself, stunned.

As I came into the front room, Alice was pushing a plastic yellow gown up his arms that I recognized as an operating gown. He tied it himself and snapped the gloves on and disappeared down the hall with Alice.

I stood alone and confused until I heard screaming and shortly after that it was followed by a baby's cry.

Emmett came walking over; I hadn't even realized that he was in the room. "Wild, huh? One more soldier for the cause," he said and walked off.

I wondered what the hell he was talking about and what part Edward played in it all.

He came out a while later and gave me a wide smile. "I need to shower but my brother is doing fine. Can I meet you in your room in a few minutes?"

"Yeah," I said nodding my head and hurrying upstairs. I sat quietly on my bed trying to make sense of what Emmet had said.

Not much later, I heard screaming again but it was the familiar wail of Tanya and I suddenly realized that little Mittens was not in my room. My door had been open when I came upstairs. This didn't bode well at all. Alice had promised to take care of her while we were away and I had no idea where she was. I was about to go searching for my cat when Alice came flying through the door. She was holding a hissing, flailing Mittens away from herself. "Sorry, she got away from me. I was hoping she would have warmed up to me while you were away but no such luck," she pouted.

Alice set Mittens down and she took off, hiding in the closet in Edward's shoe.

"I even bought her toys and catnip but she just doesn't like me," Alice whined. "I even got her a new wardrobe that would put any Beverly Hills cat to shame but she just tried to gnaw it off. The only thing she left on was the new collar I bought her. I thought the white standing out against her black fur was just perfect. Don't you think?"

I took a moment to look at the collar. "These aren't real diamonds are they?"

Alice was quiet for a moment and then smiled, "No, of course not."

Edward walked in behind her. "Liar," he said smirking. "Don't worry about it, Love. Mittens deserves to be pampered. You should have seen Tanya's hair."

"Edward," Esme scolded from the doorway. It was then I realized that she was holding a little blue bundle in her arms. "Bella, would you like to meet the newest member of my family. This is my son, Alastair."

The little blue bundle squirmed and opened his blue eyes. I reached out to him but Esme pulled him back from me. "Careful, dear, he's hungry and has a curious diet." She smiled at the baby, nuzzling him and walked out. Alice danced after her.

"He's a half breed," I said more to myself than to Edward.

Edward scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah, all the children are."

"Do the mothers know?"

"My mother and sisters are their mothers."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Do their birth mothers know?"

"They know they're different, but they don't know what we are or what the children are. They just know we can't have kids and are helping us. The children have good lives, Bella. This isn't a bad thing. Most vampires expand their covens through death; we're doing it through life."

My insides felt cold. I felt like I had been blind to everything that had been going on around me. Little Violet was adorable and sweet and a half breed. She was spoiled and kind at the same time. She was unaware of the life she was born into. I noticed they never took the children away from the estate and now I knew why. They were prisoners just like me except they were born into it.

"Bella?" Edward looked worried.

"So you're expanding your coven?" I said disgusted with the term.

"No, well, yes and no. We aren't like the others. We see it as expanding our family, Bella. They are my family. Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rose, they're all my siblings. I have nieces and nephews and now a new brother. We're a family but others of my kind call it a coven. They don't understand the connection we have with each other. Most vampires don't stay together long unless they're mated or receive some benefit from being part of a coven. Most covens are only mates and occasionally a straggler that meets up with them or a person they've changed, and even then, the third person eventually leaves looking for their own mate. What my family has is unheard of. Carlisle thinks it's because of our diet that we're able to bond on a more humane level, but all I know is they're my family, so I stay here. I don't know anything else."

"Could you leave if you wanted to?" I asked, suddenly wondering if Edward was being held against his will.

He looked at me stunned. "You want to leave? We just got back."

"No, Edward, for good, Could you leave for good?"

"They're my family, Bella. It's hard to be away from yours, isn't it?"

"But could you leave, like I had to leave mine, and only mail them presents for holidays and notes letting them know you're okay, could you do it?"

He looked pain and looked out to the door. "Do you want me to?"

"What if I said yes?" I suddenly wanted to get Edward the hell away from these people.

"I..." He let out a huff. His eyes were sad and worried and then he nodded his head yes. "I suppose it's only fair if you have to go without your family that I should have to go without mine. I'll go pack," he said quietly, turning to the door.

I stood stunned watching his sad form disappear. Was he really going to do it? Was he trying to call my bluff?

Alice came in swooping me up in a hug. "I'm going to miss you so much," she cried. I realized that his family knew he was leaving and was suddenly worried they would try and make us stay. "I brought the toys I got for Mittens. Maybe she'll play with them with you and if you need a kitty sitter again, call me. I'm sure we can handle it. She actually warmed up to Violet; she's going to miss you guys so much. You'll have to let Edward come for a tea party every once in awhile."

Violet was suddenly in the doorway and to my surprise, she looked furious.

"Don't you dare, young lady! She's Uncle Edward's mate and he would be very upset with you if you hurt her!" Alice snapped and then caught Violet in mid air as she lunged at me. She held the struggling little girl in her arms. "Keep in touch, we'll miss you guys."

Edward came back with a small bag and the cat carrier. He reached out his hand to me waiting. "Let's go, Love. We have another villa in France we can visit or maybe the house in the mountains in Colorado would be more of your taste. Where do you want to go?"

"Colorado sounds good," I said timidly and he gave me a tight smile. He wasn't happy about leaving, but I wanted to get him away from his family for a while to make sure he wasn't brainwashed or something. I just hoped he didn't hate me for doing it.

A/N another crazy chapter. I am sorry it took so long I will try and do better. I promise! Thanks for reading please review.

Also if you want to donate to fight breast cancer, there is a link on my authors page. I was on a team and broke my foot because I am cool like that and my walking partner still needs donations so do all our boobies a favor and donate to Kim Cluff my walking buddy on the blister sister's team, because everyone deserves to be fondled.


	29. Chapter 29

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover!**

**Chapter 29 What Do You Want**

**Epov**

I didn't know what had set Bella off but I knew I had to go with her. I couldn't be away from my mate and I had a feeling that she didn't want to be away from me, either. I just wasn't sure if she knew why yet. Alice reassured me that everything would be fine if I went away for a while with her, but it was important to Bella that we get away now.

She was feeling trapped and I was finding it hard to understand why. Didn't I just take her away for nearly a month? Didn't she have a good time traipsing all over England? She was leading the whole time. I never forced her to do anything. I followed her everywhere!

We were speeding down the road toward the house in Colorado. At the speed we were going we would get there in the morning.

Bella was sitting silently. She had stared at me for the first several hours before she finally looked away and fell asleep. I didn't know what she expected to find out once we were away from the estate but I hoped that I could quickly give her the answers she wanted and get home.

The sun was just cresting over the mountains when we pulled up at the house. Alice had someone come in and clean it for us so it was ready when we arrived. I carried Bella in and wrapped her in a blanket and sat down holding her as I knew she preferred. I knew she would be waking soon and I hoped we could talk then.

**Bpov**

I woke tangled and squished in a blanket. I looked up at Edward with tear filled eyes. All my dreams were of him leaving me, upset that I had pulled him away from his family. When I saw he was holding me I couldn't hold back and burst into tears.

"Bella, Love, what's wrong? What's going on? What has you so upset?"

I didn't know how to voice my concerns; I just did my best to wiggle my arms free and wrapped them around his neck. "I'm sorry for making you mad at me. I'm just so worried about you."

"Worried? Why? What's going on, Love? One minute you're fine and the next you're yanking me out of my home telling me we have to leave."

I looked shamefully at my hands. "Edward, how did you come to be a Cullen?"

He let out a breath and started to tell me the story of Carlisle at the hospital and him on his death bed. When I asked about the others he explained as well that Esme had lost a baby and when Carlisle saved her he had condemned her to never have children again. I was surprised to hear that Rosalie found a mate in Emmett because he reminded her of her human godson she last saw the night she died and she really wanted a family as well but never would be able to have one. He did his best to explain how the women of his family were heartbroken when they learned they would never have children and that they all had grown close in their sorrow and search for a solution. With time and progress, it was decided to give insemination a try and that was when the surrogates were hired.

"But the babies and the children, you never let them leave the estate."

"It's not safe, Bella. My kind would know what they are when they see them. It's against our vampire laws to have children."

"Then why do they do it?"

"Why does anyone do anything risky? Because the reward is greater than the risk, Bella. My mother and sisters have their children and one day my wife will have my children as well."

I didn't like him talking about wives and children. He spoke of it as if it was far off in another time with another woman! I realized now that I was jealous. I didn't like the idea of him being with anyone else.

"Bella, what's bothering you so much?"

"Another soldier for the cause," I snapped.

He looked at me confused.

"That's what Emmett said. You're raising a group of kids, brainwashing them against their will and training them to fight. Alice could barely hold back Violet." Yelled at him trying to hide my jealousy.

"I had just told her I was leaving, Bella. She's just a child; of course she would be upset and act out over losing a family member."

"You yourself said vampires run in small groups and the size of your family is unheard of. So, you're planning on overthrowing the vampire president or something?"

"It's royalty, and yes, at some point when the children are older and ready to go find their mates we'll have to overthrow the ruling Volturi brothers. It wouldn't be a bad thing, they're very corrupt and power mad."

"Isn't that what all the rebels say?"

"Bella, what's your problem? You obviously have issues but I don't feel like I'm getting to them."

"You're my kidnapper! I don't have to like you!" I snapped.

"Poppycock!" he snapped with a straight angry face.

I was confused by his words at first and then just burst out laughing.

"What on earth is wrong with you?" he asked upset.

"You!" I gasped between laughs. "You said Poppycock." I bent over laughing. "You said it so…" I couldn't finish my sentence I was laughing so hard.

"Bella." He picked me up from the crumpling laughing ball I was on the floor. "Please, Love, tell me how to fix this."

I finally settled down and he carried me back over to the bed.

"I'm scared," I whispered.

"Well, it's about time."

"I'm not afraid of you, Edward, I'm afraid for you? I worry that you don't really know what you want."

He cut off my rant. "Bella, I want what every man wants. I want to find the love of my life, I want to settle down and have a little house with a white picket fence. I want to have kids and a stupid job that makes me eager to get home. I wanted a dog but I'll concede that for Mittens since she doesn't completely hate me now and I'm pretty sure she'll keep Tanya away from the house."

Mittens? Mittens was included in what Edward wanted. He wanted me. "You want a white picket fence with me?"

He smiled and nodded yes.

"Could we really have that?"

"I'm not sure but it's what I want. There are a lot of little details that need to be worked out."

"Like what?"

"Well, as a vampire, I leave a scent on you that other vampires would be curious about. So it isn't really safe for you to be out and about alone," he said sounding a little nervous. "Um, I would also like to have children with you but as I said before, it's kind of illegal." He was suddenly very unsure about himself. "Right now, my dream is just that, a dream. What I want is not possible. If you agreed to be with me, we would have to stay at my family's estate to keep our family safe."

"And you're sure that this having children thing is illegal?"

"We used to have some friends. A coven in Denali we thought of like cousins. They were animal eaters as well. When they came out with their daughters, it didn't go over well. The whole coven was executed, including the children. It was then that Carlisle pulled us all into hiding and insisted that we not let the children leave the estate."

"But what kind of life can they have locked up like that, Edward?"

"A good one, they have everything they could ever want and you saw the size of the estate. It won't be like that forever, Bella. One day we'll be strong enough to overthrow them and we can have our picket fence and stupid job."

"Edward…"

"Just…don't, I know it's asking a lot of you but it's all I have to offer you. This is what I am, Bella, I have nothing else to give you," he said sadly. He set me aside and walked out of the room.

He left me sitting quietly, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do with my boy. I wanted him but I wanted to be free as well.

At this point, though, that didn't seem like a possibility.

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	30. Chapter 30

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers.**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover!**

**Chapter 30 Distractions**

**Epov**

I realized now that I could not make Bella happy. She was a free spirit. Alice had mentioned more than once that she was going stir crazy on the estate even with a full wing of the house to herself. I should have known better, the way she was fascinated by the world and literally ran across England with an adorable spark in her eyes. She was not one to be caged and that was all my life was. I caged the animal I was and tried to act human. I caged the family I had and tried to play normal while protecting them. I was trying to pull her into my cage and now I was surprised that she was hesitant to follow.

I was an idiot for ever believing she would want to be with me. That she would willingly join me in the cage that was my life. She had been forced into it and then held captive by me. Why on earth would I think she could love me?

My thoughts were interrupted by a hand on my shoulder. I was not used to being snuck up on but her silent mind and my distracted brain gave her the upper hand.

"Edward." I looked at her and gave her a tight smile. "I'm sorry," she said surprising me.

"What for? Being kidnapped? Or held against your will? Or maybe it was all the fashion torture my sister put you through."

"Edward," she said in a scolding voice.

"No, what are you sorry for, Bella? Having to put up with a strange guy watching you sleep and stalking you in your every waking moment? Is that what you're sorry for?" I snapped.

"EDWARD! Stop it now!" she said gripping my shoulders. She gave me a shove but I didn't budge. My hands clamped her waist to keep her from falling back.

"I'm sorry that I took you from your family. I'm sorry that I thought you were being held against your will. I'm sorry…"

"Wait, what?" I stopped her, looking down at her pink cheeks. "You thought they were keeping me against my will?" Her pink cheeks darkened. "That's why you made us leave? You were trying to save me?" I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. She was so adorably ridiculous.

"Stop laughing at me," she pouted.

"I'm not laughing," I said trying to suppress my grin.

"You are, too, in that crazy-haired head of yours."

"So, now you're the mind reader?"

She jutted her chin out at me. "If you're going to laugh at me I'm not going to finish what I was saying."

"I'm sorry, Love."

Her face softened. "I'm sorry I thought your family was a group of evil brainwashing rebels."

I pouted a little, trying to hold in my snicker. I made my face as serious as possible. "Apology accepted."

She smacked my shoulder and then gripped her hand because it hurt. "Stop laughing at me, you brat. I swear to god I'm going to find a way to hurt you. If I didn't think kicking you in the nuts would break my toes, I would!"

I quickly covered my nuts as my eyes about popped out of my head at her crass words. "It's plenty easy to hurt me and not involve my lower anatomy. A little fire will do just the trick but I beg you to keep it away from certain areas."

She started giggling. "Serves you right, Mister Poppycock. I can't believe you used that word."

"Why? It's a real word." I defended.

"It's also a delicious candied popcorn mix."

"What?"

"Yup, your swear word is the name of a delicious caramel covered popcorn mix with nuts."

"Caramel, like on your apples that you enjoy?"

"Yes, like the apples, sort of. Anyway, it's really good and no longer an effective swear word, unless there's popcorn involved."

"Popcorn?"

"Yes, if someone gives you plain popcorn you can throw it back at them and yell Poppycock! To let them know you want the good stuff."

I chuckled lightly. "Bella, I don't like any popcorn."

"See, no reason to embarrass yourself by using the word then."

"Embarrass?" I said completely shocked.

"Really, Edward, did you think I broke into to a fit of giggles because hysteria set in?" I asked.

"I thought you just didn't want to fight anymore."

"I never want to fight with you, Edward. I hope you know that." She touched my forearm, running her hand up to my elbow, sending shocks of lightening and fire through my arm. I wondered if her touch would ever cool or if it would always call to the human boy in me?

"I don't like fighting with you, either. I'm sorry I upset you and raised my voice. I should never take that tone with a lady," I apologized.

"It was my fault for not voicing my fears sooner."

"I hope you'll always feel safe enough with me to tell me what's upsetting you."

She smiled sweetly and hugged me. I carefully wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I think it's time I take you home, Bella," I whispered, not sure if she would hear it.

"I'll get my things; just promise me that you'll protect me from Violet," she said half joking, half serious.

I frowned. "That's not what I meant, Love. I'm taking you home. I know you miss your parents. I know your heart is hurting to be kept from them."

"Edward, stop."

"No, we shouldn't have taken you and I shouldn't have tried to force you into my world."

"That's an understatement," a voice from outside said.

It was then I realized we were not alone. There was another vampire at our cabin. Where was my gift today? I was too distracted with Bella to realize someone had slipped up on us. Damn it!

Bella was about to speak but I covered her mouth. "We're not alone." I looked down at her with worried eyes. I hoped I would be enough to protect her.

I leaned my head down to ear. "Go to our room," I whispered so softly that I hoped the awaiting vampire would not hear. I silently prayed Alice had seen this and they were on their way to help. I would not survive if something happened to my Bella.

I hoped I was enough to save her.

**A/N: So, any guesses who it is? Thanks for reading and please review!**


	31. Chapter 31

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover.**

**Chapter 31 Got Marshmallows?**

**Epov**

"Jane," I growled her name with disdain.

"Well, look who we have here. Edward Cullen. Why so far from home? What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Just taking some time to myself. As you can guess, my family's home can feel a bit crowded at times."

She stalked forward looking me up and down. A smirk pulled on her lips. "Your eyes are not so golden anymore, are they?"

"We all make mistakes," I said with a casual shrug as I focused solely on her mind. Her powers were impressively dangerous and I had rather not cross her. She was thinking I had defected from my family's vegetarian ways since my eyes were no longer a golden color but more of a burgundy shade. For once, I was glad they were the wrong color because I might be able to play this up.

"Is that why you're out here all alone? Hiding in shame because your true nature finally got the better of you?" she teased.

"My nature is none of your concern, or my family's."

"What of the human I smell here?"

I growled in response. "She's mine, why do you care if I play with my food!" I snapped.

She let out a maddened giggle. "This is an interesting development. I'm sure Aro will enjoy hearing all about it."

I snarled at her.

"Fine, fine, I'll get my own food. It's very rude of you not to share," she chided me.

"Our kind has never shared!" I growled angrily.

She smiled. "You're right, but if anyone started I would have thought it would be a Cullen."

"Well, you thought wrong. This one is mine," I growled, playing up the roll while trying to keep my monster in check.

"Well, I'll leave you to eat in peace," she said turning toward the doors. "Oh, and Edward?" she called back over her shoulder. "If you get tired of hiding out in the mountains, you're always welcome to visit Volterra."

I nodded my head in her direction and waited until she reached the property line before I rushed into the bedroom. "Bella?" I called, but then I saw the curtains moving and the window was open. Bella was gone.

I jumped out the window and followed the trail through the snow after them. With my speed and them being slowed down by Bella, I was able to catch up to them in a clearing just a mile away.

I should have known Jane would not be alone. She always traveled with her brother.

"She's mine!" I roared slamming into Alec, knocking him and Bella to the ground. My eye snapped to Bella to make sure she was alright. I was about to jump over to her but was hit mid air by the blinding pain that Jane was inflicting on me.

Alec stood up and brushed himself off, smirking at my writhing form. "Shall I start the fire, sister?"

"Well, maybe not to kill him but just to give him a little reminder of why not to mess with us," Jane said as she caused the pain to spike to new heights.

Alec walked away from where Bella was laying, their backs to her as they started a fire. Jane walked over to me and looked me right in the face smiling. She was sick; the enjoyment she took from my torture was evident on her face.

Alec came walking up holding a stick with a glowing end. He patted his sister, smiling and showed her the tool devised for my torture.

"Beautiful, Alec. Now, what shall we write across his pretty face so he'll never forget to gladly welcome us into his home again?"

The next thing I knew, there was a flaming branch coming down on Alec's head. He jumped back screaming, trying to put the fire out but his cape took to the flames quickly. Jane panicked, releasing me and just as she was about to go after Bella for setting her brother on fire, I was able to knock her to the ground.

Alec was still trying to put his fire out and failing horribly as he swung his arms. I guess they never taught him stop, drop and roll in school. I smirked and watched as a furious Jane tried to turn her powers on my Bella but Bella didn't flinch. Her step didn't so much as falter. "You messed with the wrong human, Bitch." she snapped as she lowered another flaming branch right next to Jane's face.

Once Jane realized her power wasn't working, she freaked out and turned it back on me but that was a mistake because once the pain hit me I released her, leaving her exposed and Bella quickly set her alight. Jane's focus was quickly pulled off of me and to her own body, trying to put her body out to no avail. She ran into a tree, starting it on fire as well and I knew that it would spread quickly to a forest fire and I needed to get Bella out of there. I quickly grabbed her, throwing her on my back and glanced back at the smoldering ash that was Alec. Jane was moving fast toward the same fate.

I darted out of there and headed toward home, and when I said home I meant in Washington. I had been running for hours when I realized Bella's grip on me was starting to loosen. I moved her to my arms, cradling her as she slept and I realized that she was probably feeling cool. I cursed my lack of warmth and quickly found a little motel.

She stirred as I tucked her in and looked down at her, grateful that we made it out alive and amazed that my beautiful girl was so strong. I could not claim credit for the kills; it was Bella that had disposed of the two Volturi guards. In a sense, she had saved me. I had not been able to protect her but her incredible ability to shield me from her mind had taken them by surprise, blocking out their attacks as well and giving her the upper hand.

I went to save her but she had saved me. I was in awe, and I was ashamed that I'd left her unguarded and agreed to leave the safety of the estate in the first place. If I had put my foot down and insisted that we stay, this would have never happened.

I hoped the forest fire spread and burnt away any traces that it was Bella and I that disposed of the two favored guards. If it was discovered that we had killed them, a war would break out immediately.

I knew it was inevitable but we were not ready. Not yet.

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	32. Chapter 32

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover.**

**Chapter 32 Buffy has munchies**

**Bella POV**

I woke to a distraught Edward. I looked up at his sad face and quickly wiggled my arms free so I could cup his face and play with his hair. "Edward, what's wrong?"

"Do you know how close we both came to dying?" he asked, his voice nearly cracking.

"But we didn't. You told me how to kill a vampire and we did, they're gone. They're literally toast."

"Bella, they were Volturi guards! If they find out we killed them, they'll retaliate. They were favored guard members, Bella, highly gifted personal emissaries of the Volturi royalty and you just killed them!"

"They were going to hurt you! What did you expect me to do, Edward? Do you really think they were going to let us go?"

His face looked pained. "No, you were dead the moment they caught your scent. We should have never left the estate. Now do you see why we stay home? It's not safe out in the world for us!"

"Edward…"

"NO! We're going home now! I'm getting you as far away from there as possible and I hope to heaven that the forest fire spread and erased any scent of us, because they will come after us, Bella. You're no longer safe."

I rolled my eyes at him. Really, just arm me with a blow torch and I was pretty sure I could hold my own. I was surprised at how flammable the vampires were. I was guessing the Cullen's didn't hold barbeques.

"Bella, this is serious," he said trying to get me to freak out, but the thing was, we'd just killed two vamps, we kicked ass. I was feeling pretty hyped.

"Edward, we'll go back to the estate if that makes you feel better, but I don't want you to freak out. I will ask you to buy me something, though."

"What's that?"

"A lighter, so if I ever get snatched again I can just light them up and get away."

His head fell into his hands. "I don't want you to be snatched, Bella."

I just shrugged. "I know, Edward, but it's like how my dad always wanted me to carry pepper spray. I never did thinking it was stupid but I really could have used it against those guys Rosalie saved me from, and well, a lighter is the equivalent of pepper spray to a vamp, right? I should have one. Maybe even a pocket sized flame thrower if you can find one."

He rubbed his face and then nodded okay.

"So, how many guards do we have to take down to be free?"

"Bella! We're not fighting the Volturi!"

"Look, just in case they figure it out, how many more do we have to take down?"

He shook his head. "I know of fifteen, well, knew of fifteen but you took out two of them so now thirteen, there are thirteen but they're not regular vampires, Bella. Most of them are gifted like Alec and Jane were. Apparently, their gifts didn't work on you but not all gifts work the same. You won't be immune to all of them. I don't want you thinking you can go off fighting them with us if they come."

"Why not? I have the element of surprise! They had no clue I would come after them. Stupid idiots thought I would be shaking in my boots, not used to the monsters they were trying to flaunt but they didn't do anything that I hadn't already seen. Well, I didn't like that chick hurting you. I wasn't going to let them hurt you and kill me and just get away, Edward. I'm not completely incompetent."

Edward sat quietly. I think he realized he wasn't going to win this battle. I was going to kick some vampire ass. I would put Buffy to shame and I didn't even have super powers.

I got up to go to the bathroom but tripped because my feet were still tangled in the damn blanket. I didn't know what the hell was with Edward and wrapping me up tighter than a taquito.

I heard a low growl and realized I'd cut my arm when it scraped the nightstand on my way down. I looked up at Edward who was holding completely still, his eyes focused on my dripping blood. I kicked the blanket off my legs and decided another Edward high wouldn't hurt. I rather enjoyed the last one, even if he insisted it would never happen again. I had a feeling that if I put my arm right by his mouth that he wouldn't be able to stop.

I walked slowly closer to him.

"Bella," he growled in a low warning voice, "You need to leave."

"No, I think I need you to have a little drink and let me have a contact high. I think I deserve one, don't you?"

He growled a little louder. "Bella, I'm not safe!" he said snapping.

"I'll be fine, Edward. You love me, don't you?"  
His brow furrowed and he let out a little whimper.

"Please, Love. It hurts when you're so close."

I held up my arm just inches from his mouth. "Will drinking make it not hurt so badly?" I asked running my other hand through his hair. "Come on, Edward, we've done this before. Drink a little then seal it up. If you leave it open, the blood just gets wasted and there's a risk of infection. Do you really want me to go through the pain of an infection?"

He shook his head no.

I pressed my arm against his lips and I was instantly crushed against him. He was letting out a soft growl as he fed. I wound my hand up into his hair and kissed my way to his ear. "I'm here, I'm yours, I'm not going anywhere. I want this as much as you, baby. I want you," I whispered as I nibbled his neck and ear. Since I knew what to look for it this time, I recognized it right away. My body flushed, burning with tingles and I couldn't get close enough to Edward. I wanted him badly. I was braver this time around, though, and ran my free hand everywhere I knew he wouldn't have let me otherwise. I grabbed his ass and then climbed up him, wrapping my legs around his waist.

"That's it, baby, drink, suck me the way I want to suck you," I panted in his ear. He pushed me into the bed again, grinding down into me. Apparently, drinking me turned him on. I reached my hand between us and grabbed him through his pants. I knew he would never go for this if he wasn't drunk on my blood. He purred against my skin and pressed down into my hand.

I felt him released my arm, giving it one last lick and then his lips found mine. I quickly snapped my legs around him and gripped him tightly, letting him know I didn't want him to pull away.

"So good," I moaned as he hit the right spot. "So close." I begged him to keep going. I didn't want him to stop. I was worried that he would. I focused on the feel of him pressed against me and his lips against mine. I wanted him, I needed him and I told him as much.

He was purring softly against my lips and I ran my hand back down to his perfect ass. I was cursing the clothing barrier we had between us. I sucked his lip into my mouth. The cool sweet taste was making me insanely high. I was looking forward to the good time I would be having. That last hit pushed me over the edge and I bucked hard against him, moaning out his name.

He froze over me, looking down at me in shock as I shattered in his arms. He suddenly got up and stood on the opposite side of the room panting hard. "Bella, Love, I'm so sorry, I didn't…"

I cut him off. "Edward, don't, I loved it. Please, just don't ruin it with apologizing." I stretched, feeling my worn out body and smiled, loving the effect he had on me. "Can you get me some food? I think you gave me the munchies," I said giggling. I was more aware this time and truly enjoying my high.

"I ah…"

"Food, Edward, you know, that stuff I have to eat." As if on cue my stomach growled and I giggled again.

He nodded and quickly kissed my forehead before he slipped out the door. I was going to have to work on wearing him down more. I wanted him to start enjoying this, too. I decided that when he returned with the food, I would do my best to return the favor. It was only fair. If he saw me orgasm, I should get to see him orgasm, too.

No one could accuse me of not being for equal opportunity!

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	33. Chapter 33

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen.**

**Chapter 33 Freaking Out**

**Epov**

I was freaking out! I never understood why Alice would use that phrase or when Emmett would say that Rosalie was freaking out but yeah, I got it now. I was freaking out. I could still smell Bella's musky scent all over me and even though I left the room like it was on fire, every inch of me was screaming to go back to her. This wasn't right! This was so very wrong! It was way beyond my realm of experience. Even being a century old, I still didn't know how to handle this or her. I didn't understand my reaction to her or my need to be near her constantly. I assumed it was just the pull of being my mate but I had to be wrong. I felt like I was vibrating and about to explode out of my skin if I didn't go back to her. That couldn't be right. I needed to get away and calm down.

I called the only person I would trust with these situations, the only one who would truly understand how delicate the situation was. I didn't want to do anything to dishonor my Bella, but I truly needed help.

"Hello," Carlisle said cheerfully.

"Dad?"

"Edward?"

"Yeah, um, I need your help."

"Of course, where are you? I'm on my way."

"NO! Um, we're coming home."

"That's wonderful, is everything alright? Is Bella okay?"

"I, I don't know." I truly didn't, I left her enjoying her high in the hotel room.

"What happened?"

"She cut herself."

"Edward." His voice was worried.

"She's high again, Dad. I didn't mean to, she just put it against my lips. How am I supposed to resist that?"

"You're not. I'm afraid she may be addicted to you, though. Did she cut herself on purpose?"

"No, she fell and scratched her arm."

"Well, that's good then. If she's addicted, Edward, you may want to find another way to appease her to keep her from self harm."

"But, Dad, you don't understand…"

"Edward, this is serious."

"I can't…we can't…I don't have control of myself when I feed on her," I shamefully declared.

"I can see where that would be a problem. How do you resist biting her?"

"I don't have a problem controlling that."

"Then what is it?"

"I want her," I said in a quiet whisper not wanting it to be true.

"Edward."

"It's bad, Dad. I can barely stay away from her and she's back in the room waiting for me high as a kite, ready to jump me if I get within arm's reach."

"Edward, settle down, you're going to be okay."

"NO, I'm not! Dad, I love her, she's my mate. I want to honor her and marry her and I don't know if I can, Dad. I ran out of the room and I have to go back and I don't know how I'm going to control myself if she jumps me again."

"Edward, will you listen to me!" he yelled snapping me out of my hysteria. I took a few deep breaths. "Are you ready to listen now?"

I nodded and then said yes.

"Get her a ring."

"What?"

"You want to marry her, get her a ring. When you're in love, resisting is impossible when it's true. Get her a ring, marry her and then there will be no reason to freak out."

"But how am I…"

"Edward. Get the ring. It'll take care of everything for now, because once you have it on your person you'll be too busy freaking out about how to ask her and what her answer will be to get excited, okay?"

I nodded again, he was probably right. "Okay, Dad, thanks."

"Anytime, Son. So, you two are coming home?" he asked.

"Yeah, and don't act like you didn't know. I'm sure Alice had already told you."

"Well, as she always says, her visions are subjective."

"I know, Dad, we're on our way. I'll talk to you when I get home."

"Alright, Son."

I hung up with Carlisle and started looking for a jeweler. My dad was right, once I had decided to get a ring, my body stopped freaking out and I was able to find a little store. After looking for an hour I finally picked out a ring that I thought Bella would enjoy. I quickly hit a drive-thru and grabbed her some food, as I had just recalled the first reason she let me out of the room was to get her something to eat.

When I came back, Bella was wrapped in the sheet and I was pretty sure she had nothing on. Her scent was so delicious my eyes nearly rolled back in my head when I inhaled. I needed to be good. I needed to focus on the ring burning a hole in my pocket.

I couldn't ask her to marry me when she was high!

I set the bag on the table and told her I would wait outside until she was done and dressed. This was going to be a long trip home.

**Bpov**

Edward was doing his best to stay away from me and I had to say it really was upsetting to be avoided by him. My plan to seduce him didn't work. Apparently, I was not so swift when I was high on Edward Cullen.

I ate my food, pouting and listened to him pacing back and forth outside the room door. I dressed in my clothes sans panties because those didn't survive through Edward's breakfast. I took them to the bathroom and washed them out in the sink, wondering if I should even bother. I shook them out and twisted them up, stretching them to an impossible form. These damn things would not be usable again.  
"Edward!" I shouted. "Edward, get in here! I'm dressed!" I called to him. He ruined them, he could fix them. He was in the room instantly and I heard him knock lightly on the door. "I said I was dressed, get in here now!"

He poked his head in the bathroom door.

"Now, Mister!"

"Is something wrong?" he asked worried.

"Yes, something's wrong! Look at these. I need panties and you made me cum all over mine. Not that I didn't enjoy it at the time but now I have no panties!" I unzipped my jeans showing my problem to him.

He swallowed hard staring at my naked hips. "Edward, Hellooo! Up here, buddy," I said waving my panty flag in his face. He looked at me wide eyed in shock. I tossed my panties at him. "I need another pair and maybe some clothes. These feel grimy," I decided and started to undress, throwing my shirt in his face and he quickly disappeared out the door. He'd better come back with clothes.

I turned on the shower and sat down in the tub, pretending I was in a rainstorm. I laid back and let the rain beat down on my naked body. I would love to do that outside. Too bad it wasn't raining.

**Epov**

Bella was still high as a kite. I had apparently ruined her apparel and she was upset about it. I didn't blame her for showing her displeasure with me. I wasn't too happy with myself either. I walked into the nearest apparel store and realized then when a woman looked at me shocked and thought in her mind I was a sick pervert that I was still holding Bella's undergarment in my hand. I quickly stuffed it in my pocket and rushed away from her. I stood outside the women's undergarment department looking over at it nervously.

A woman with several facial piercing walked up laughing at my predicament in her mind. Somehow she figured out I was here to buy under things for the first time and thought my distress was cute. I just found it distressing. "Hey there, buddy, can I help you find something?" she asked.

I wondered if I just gave her the garment if she could find me something and bring it to me so I wouldn't have to actually step into that part of the store.

"I, um, need… we're just passing through town and..." I let out a huff.

"Okay, do you know her size? She obviously forgot to pack something and sent you to get it."

"Yes, that's it exactly." Well, sort of, she didn't forget anything but we sure didn't pack extra under things, either.

"Okay, so do you know her size?" she asked again.

I looked down at my offending pocket with the little scrap of undergarment. "I, um, she, um..."

Somehow she seemed to know just what was going on. It was like _she_ was a mind reader. She held out her hand. "Hand them over," she said smirking.

I just nodded and glanced around quickly and then passed them to her.

She held them up in front of her face smiling. I hadn't gotten a look at them before and was shocked by the little scrap of black lace she held up. I gasped a little and she laughed at me.

"I'll grab a few things that might do, but these are pretty high end, honey. I hope she doesn't throw our department store rejects back in your face," she laughed handing them back.

I knew that Bella was a simple person; it was Alice that had purchased the expensive clothing, most likely against Bella's will. The woman came back with several pairs of undergarments and they all seemed much too tiny in my opinion. "Miss, would you happen to have an undergarment that covered more of the…" I motioned to my whole lower half.

She glanced at an item she called 'Spanks' in her mind and wondered if I had a granny fetish.

I tried to think of something to say to her but couldn't come up with anything that would sound appropriate. I was about ready to bolt, as not only were people thinking I was a pervert but someone now thought I liked 'doing my granny' whatever the heck that meant.

I was about to run away from the woman when I saw a group of elderly women come walking toward the section. I started to panic, wanting to disappear.

"Is one of those your granny, sweetheart?" the pierced woman asked.

"No, Miss, I'm just…never mind." I quickly took off to the far side of the store and hid in the men's section trying to calm myself. I wondered if Bella would mind so much if I bought her men's clothing. I just couldn't do the women's things. I found the men's underwear and tried to guess what would be her size. I picked out some boy's boxers with some odd characters on them. They should fit her. I found some plain sweatpants and sweatshirts thinking they would be neutral enough that she would not notice they were from the boy's section. They would hopefully keep her warm as well. I decided to get her a large winter coat also.

I wondered if she would need socks as well and decided on getting her a few pair to keep her feet warm.

I was surprised when my cell phone chimed. I quickly answered it, not recognizing the number. "EDWARD!" Bella shouted, "WE FORGOT MITTENS!" She was frantic. "She's just running around the house all alone, Edward. She's going to be so hungry and scared! OH, GOD, I'M SUCH A TERRIBLE CAT MOMMY!"

"I'll get her, Bella, I swear, you just stay there. I'll drop off your clothing and go straight away to get her, I promise."

Bella was sobbing over the phone and my heart hurt for her. I knew she was very attached to the small creature and I hoped for her sake it was alright. Hopefully the forest fire didn't spread to our mountain estate.

a/n thanks for reading please review.


	34. Chapter 34

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen.**

**Chapter 34 Fiery Gauntlet **

**Bpov**

I sat naked on the bed wrapped in a towel. My Edward induced high still had me a little buzzed, but I was starting to think a little more coherently. That was when I remembered we had escaped so abruptly that we'd left my poor little Mittens behind, and I called Edward in a panic. He was so wonderful, willing to risk himself to go back and get her for me. It made me love him all the more.

Edward rushed in through the door a short while later and I was so happy he was back with clothes. He only paused for a moment and tossed a bag of clothes to me. "I'm off to save Mittens, Love. I'll be back as soon as possible."

He disappeared out the door, not even waiting for my response. I pulled out the clothes and laughed at the transformer boxers he had purchased for me. I opened the package and put a pair of them on, surprised at how comfy they really were. I would have to see about getting more.

I pulled out the sweatpants and shirts and realized there was only socks and a coat, no bras. I put a sweatshirt on, not worrying about a bra and then put on a pair of pants. I was warm and cozy. I loved how soft it felt inside. I wished they would find a way to keep clothes this soft. They always got rough and uncomfortable after a few washes. I wondered if Alice knew of some special sweats that stayed soft. I would have to ask her when we got back. Then I started laughing hysterically at the idea of Alice having any knowledge about sweats.

Not freaking likely.

**Epov**

I ran as fast as I could back to the estate. It had taken a day to run to the hotel carrying Bella so I hoped that I would be able to make the journey much faster alone. The smell of fire was thick in the air and I was truly beginning to worry if the mountain estate had succumbed to the flames. The smoke was thick and I caught his thoughts before I caught his scent.

"Edward Cullen, what are you doing here?" he asked stopping me in my tracks.

"I was passing through the area when I smelled smoke. My family keeps an estate not far from here. I wondered if the flames had overtaken it or if I might have a chance to save it."

He eyed me curiously. He was working with Jane and Alec and was getting pissed that he couldn't find them.

"Have you seen anyone else in these parts?" Demetri asked.

"No, only you, I assume you're traveling with other guards?" I asked.

"Yes, Jane and Alec, but they took off on a whim. They always do whenever Aro lets them out of the castle, unruly little brats."

"You don't think they would have been foolish enough to wander off that way?" I asked acting shocked as I pointed toward the flames. "No vampire in their right mind would go near such a fire without serious cause."

"Yes, well, them being in their right mind remains yet to be seen. If the fools have gotten themselves caught in a forest fire, Aro will be furious." His mind flashed over possible punishments. He would not be killed because he was a gifted tracker. All his senses were screaming that they were in the fire but he was waiting for it to go out before he even tried to approach.

I needed to find a way to beat back the flames so I could save Mittens. There was a sprinkler system installed in the estate but I didn't know how effective it would be against a wild fire.

A tanker flew over head, dropping its load on the flames, dousing a large section of the fire. We could hear the sizzle and hiss of the steam in the distance. I knew there was a creek nearby and got a crazy idea. "I'm going to soak myself in the creek and then run through the part of the forest that's just been put out."

"Why? Why would you put yourself at risk?"

I shrugged, not having a good answer. "Why do humans jump off cliffs?" I asked.

He shook his head. "They're inferior cattle, Edward; you willingly running off into the fire suggests that there's something you're hiding from me."

"Well, then why don't you join me?" I asked as I made my way to the creek. I sank under the water and let it fill my lungs. They were the closest thing I had to a water tank.

I ran through the flames, feeling the kiss of the heat on my skin. I was drying fast and I hoped that I made it through before setting myself alight. When I stopped, my clothes were steaming and my shoes were almost melted. I was standing on hot coals so I expelled my lungs and stood in the puddle looking for some relief.

Moments later, Demetri burst through the flames, hopping around burning his feet. He saw me standing in a puddle and quickly jumped into it, pressing my feet further down into the ground. I would have been annoyed but it only served to cool them further.

"Now, what geniuses we are? We're out here in the middle of a forest fire and I don't see another creek!"

I looked off in the distance and I could see the edge of my family's estate.

"The estate is just over there," I said pointing.

"What, you're going to run to it? We're dry, Cullen, we'll catch fire!"

I looked down at the sloshing ashy mud at our feet. "We have mud," I suggested. "The house has a sprinkler system in it, so if it's on fire the sprinklers will be going and cool us, or if the fire hasn't reached it, there's always the shower. We'll need one after our mud bath."

"YOU'RE INSANE!"

I shrugged. I knew I had to get to Mittens. Bella was oddly attached to the small creature and if she lost it, I was afraid she would hold it against me. I had already caused her so much pain; I couldn't bear to cause her any more.

I slathered myself head to toe in mud and took off for the house. I felt the mud sizzle and hiss as it dried as I passed through the flames. I burst into the clearing that served as our front yard and ran straight into the house, diving into the shower. My pant legs had dried faster than everything else had and had caught fire. My clothing was scorched and my hair was smoldering but I was here. I had made it and would be able to defend the house against the fire, saving Mittens for my Love.

Demetri slammed into me and I shoved him under the spray, putting out his flames. "You're insane, Cullen!"

He was checking himself over. He was also a little singed but still in one piece. "Yes, but we made it, didn't we?"

I made sure I was thoroughly soaked in the water and then rushed outside, turning on the landscape sprinklers. Esme had some other watering devices in the garage that she used when she tended the gardens here. I quickly found them and attached the hoses, setting them on the roofs and turned them on full blast. I hoped that this would save the house.

If it didn't, at least Mittens wouldn't die alone.

A/N Thanks for reading please review. I read all of them I swear. I know I don't often reply but that is because I am busy writing your next update. I would love to hear from you! Coming up next Edward Demetri and Mittens. You know it will be good.


	35. Chapter 35

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers.**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta!**

**Chapter 35 Vampire Cookies**

**Epov**

Once I had all the water going, all I could do was wait and hope that the house would be safe.

Demetri watched me come back in. I started blocking up the windows and any other cracks I could find. The smoke from the fire was seeping into the house. I didn't need to breathe, but Mittens did and so I was working hard at trying to keep the air quality somewhat breathable. I was sure Mittens was curled up and hidden under the bed somewhere on the ground and so I hoped that she had enough air. If I could find her I would move her to the basement but that would draw attention to her and I didn't know how Demetri would react to Mittens.

We could hear the hissing as the fire fought to come closer to the house. Walls of steam and smoke surrounded the house. Demetri's thoughts were panicked and angry. He was pissed he had followed me to his death. The house was getting hotter and one would think we were vampire cookies baking in a house shaped oven.

I was worried the temperature would be too much for Mittens. It was time that I found her and checked on her personally.

I tried to focus on her heartbeat. I could hear the power supply beeping, signaling the power was out. I moved down the hall towards Bella's room thinking that was where Mittens would be hiding.

I could hear a faint heartbeat.

"What are you doing?" Demetri asked annoyed.

"I hear a faint heartbeat."

I looked under the bed and sure enough, curled into a ball tucked in my shoe was Mittens and she was barely hanging on. I grabbed her and rushed down into the basement. There was a little more air down there and the temperature was not as high. I knew I had to do something or she wouldn't be making it out alive.

I looked around the basement and Demetri looked at me confused. "What the hell do you have there? Some sort of rat? I know you're an animal eater but saving your snack is ridiculous! Please tell me this is not why you're here because then I'll report that animal eating has truly driven your coven insane!"

I tucked little mittens into my shirt, hoping the material would offer another filter for her air but still I knew she would not survive if I didn't do something fast. I needed to get lower than the smoke.

Down. I needed to go further down. I punched through the cement floor and pried up a section. "We need to get lower!"

I started digging with my hands at super speed, piling dirt up over everything. Once I thought the hole was big enough I jumped down and Demetri followed quickly. I pulled the cement slab I had pried up over us and huddled in the bottom of the hole with little Mittens, hoping she would be okay, hoping that she was getting enough air and was cool enough, though it still felt hot. Demetri was scowling at me and thinking of different ways to kill me for getting him into this mess.

Water started seeping into the hole with us. "The sprinklers must have gone off. The house is on fire," I said hoping the temperature would stay reasonable. I kept telling myself that heat rose but it didn't seem to be doing that in this case. I was pretty sure a vampire couldn't be boiled to death though. I held Mittens close above the water after it started to get hot. She was damp but I doubted it was enough to keep her cool. The poor thing was overheating.

I heard the sound of a tanker plane fly overhead and I hoped that it dropped its load on us. Mittens must have been praying for the same thing because the slosh of fluid surrounded the house. I smiled at Demetri. "The fire is out!"

He only growled at me. He did not appreciate all this drama. He thought the Volturi brothers were bad but I was insane!

I pushed the cement block from the opening. It took all of my stretch since the house had come down around us. I climbed out of the smoldering ash and looked around. "So, which way are Jane and Alec?" I asked smiling.

Demetri growled, deeply furious with my casual attitude. We were soaking wet and muddy but I would say that wasn't a bad thing at this point. I could see his mind was pointing to the clearing. It looked like the majority of the way had been doused.

"Do you want me to look with you?" I asked.

"NO!" he said stomping off to the fire's edge. "Jane! Alec!" he called. I knew they wouldn't answer but if they were alive they would have been able to hear him.

Another plane flew over head dumping fire retardant slush over our heads. Demetri looked pissed but I just told him that it was a good thing as we were going to have to get out of here soon. He darted into the freshly doused section that led to the clearing and I followed him, curious to see if he would know it was Bella that caused their demise.

He looked down at the ash surrounding us. "They are not here," he said solemnly, his mind registering that they were dead.

"Maybe the fire covered their scent or whatever it is you track and they got out of here and are on their way home." I tried to give him hope where I knew there was none.

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"We should get out of here," I said and nodded back toward the creek we first soaked in. He nodded and followed me, racing back to where we knew it was safe. The fire had not reached the creek yet. We quickly jumped into the water that was now running gray and sludgy from the northern source. "We need to get further away," I suggested. I needed to get Mittens to fresh air. "Is there anywhere else they would be?"

He shook his head no. "Maybe we can check around town, they may have wanted a snack?" I offered.

His eyes narrowed. "Like your little snack there!" he snapped suddenly furious at the whole situation and taking it out on me.

"Look at my eyes, Demetri! There's a reason I'm not with my family!" I growled in response, hoping my bravado would be enough to stop him. "The only reason I have this kitten is because it didn't run when I grabbed it! When is the last time you were able to approach any kind of animal!"

He smirked a me. "So you're lonely? You left your coven, indulging in your true nature and now you've become attached to some odd little creature?" he said laughing at me. He thought my predicament was hilarious.

I just scowled in response.

"Hey, where are you going?" he called after me.

"To town. I want to get her to a vet. I don't think she's doing well," I said pulling the small creature from my shirt. I could still hear her heartbeat and her faint rasp of breathing.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you to make sure you're still sane enough to leave unattended."

I rolled my eyes at him and took off toward town. It was only minutes away and I burst through the door causing the woman at the counter to scream in shock. I knew I must have looked a site and when I saw her perception of me, I was right. My clothes were blackened and my hair was still smoking. There were holes showing my muddy ash and slurry covered legs. I held out the kitten that I had cradled in my arms. "She was in a house that was in the wild fire. Can you help her?"

The woman dropped her focus to my proffered kitten and she immediately started to asses her. She needed oxygen and quickly whisked Mittens away into the back room as I listened to them treat her for smoke inhalation and dehydration. They wrapped her in cool towels to help cool her and as we waited, the receptionist came out with cups of water for us. I took mine smiling and Demetri grimaced but took it to uphold his cover as a human.

"Are you guys okay? You should probably get yourself checked out."

"We were," I answered. "They wouldn't let us leave to bring her until we were checked out, that's why we couldn't get her here sooner," I lied smoothly but the woman believed it.

"What's the kitten's name?" she asked.

"Mittens, her name is Mittens. Is she going to be alright?" I asked.

"Yes, she should be fine once we're done treating her. She shows no signs of burns at all, you really did a good job of protecting her from the flames," she said looking at my burnt clothing.

"Thank you, when can I take her home?"

"Later this evening."

"Alright, thank you," I said and grabbed Demetri who was eyeing the woman with dinner in mind.

Her being his.


	36. Chapter 36

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover!**

**Chapter 36 If you like it or not.**

**Epov**

Once we were outside, I growled at Demetri. "You will not eat Mitten's doctor."

He looked at me and smirked. He thought the name Mittens was hilarious. "Mittens?" he asked.

"Yes, she's black and has white paws," I defended. It was a perfectly reasonable name.

He just shook his head at me. "I'm going to find something to eat," he said eyeing the streets looking for an easy bite. "Care to join me?"

"I want to stay close to Mittens."

He just shook his head. "You're insane. You realize you'll have to feed and act like a normal vampire before I leave and report back to Aro. This attachment to that small creature is unnatural." He thought of dragging us to Volterra to see if I was mated with the thing, as he thought I must be if I bothered to risk my life for it. Vampires were selfish by nature. We didn't risk ourselves for anything but our mates. Such action on my part did seem foolish and abnormal in his eyes. He was sure I was insane.

I just shrugged. "Fine, but I want to make sure Mittens is okay first." I would have to find a way to trick him into believing that I was feeding on someone.

'Poor lonely soul,' he thought as he slipped off down the alley. He was sure that was the reason I kept Mittens around. I had to come up with a plan and quick.

**Bpov**

Edward had been gone for a while and I was starting to get nervous. I had finally come off of my Edward high and had a wicked headache. There was a knock at the door and I rushed forward flinging it open, hoping it was him. "Edward?" I called but was disappointed to see Alice standing there.

"Sorry, honey, but he got held up getting Mittens, he's going to meet us back at the house."

"Is he alright? What happened?"

"Well, I can't say for sure but I can see that he isn't going to be back for another two days so, yeah, I figured I'd come get you."

"So, you didn't talk to him? I don't want to leave if he doesn't know I'm leaving. I have to wait for him here. I can't leave without him!"

"Bella, settle down, if you want to wait here for him that's fine but I thought you would be more comfortable back at the house with food and clothes."

I sat down on the bed. "I don't want to leave, Alice," I said defeated. My stomach growled, recognizing that I hadn't eaten for a while when she mentioned food.

"Alright. Well, I thought I would at least try. I'll go and get you some food and clothes then. Why don't you pick something on pay per view for us to watch? It's going to be a while."

"Thank you, Alice." I couldn't help but feel anxious as I paced the floor waiting for Edward. Where the hell was he? 

**Epov**

I picked up Mittens, giving the doctor the name of the vet we used in Washington while trying to ignore the chortling of Demetri in the background. The doctor brought Mittens out and she began to hiss. I rolled my eyes and looked back at Demetri, who had outright burst out laughing.

"She doesn't like him," I said nodding toward Demetri. I restrained Mittens as best I could without hurting her but that did not stop her from voicing her discontent. I gave them Alice's phone number, unable to remove a hand from Mittens to find my wallet. I hadn't even checked to see if I still had it or if it had burned up. I knew Alice would pay the bill no questions asked because she was Alice.

The receptionist called and Alice recited the credit card number to use.

Demetri looked at me wide eyed. "They know and encourage this?" he asked motioning to the kitten, who was still growling loudly at us.

I stomped out of the vet's office. "Leave my family out of this."

"But they know you have a pet, what? Demon from the sound of it."

"She doesn't like you! You're upsetting her!"

"Right, because she's just so cozy with you."

"She is, she sleeps in my shoe! She cuddles my sweaters. She likes me!" I insisted wishing it was true but honestly, I didn't know if she was pissed at Demetri or me.

"You truly have gone insane. How are you supposed to hunt with that thing if you can't even let go of it long enough to pay a damn bill?"

"I'll get a room and put her down. We need to get cleaned up and showered anyway. People will notice us if we walk around like this," I motioned to our toasted clothing.

"You're right. I'll fetch us some clothing, you find a place to store that thing," he pointed at Mittens and I growled at him and pulled the creature protectively to my chest.

He just shook his head and disappeared. I ran myself to a closed motel that was being threatened by the fire and broke open a door. I forced it closed and then carefully set Mittens on the bed. She hopped back and arched her back hissing at me. I just rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I save your life and this is how you repay me," I grumbled taking off my tattered clothes. I moved to the shower and quickly washed up, relaxing in the spray. I was right; my wallet and phone didn't survive the fire. I dried off and walked into the room and saw Mittens trying to hide behind the nightstand since the beds were all blocked off underneath. I pulled my towel tight, hoping Demetri would return soon with replacement garments and sat on the bed watching Mittens struggle to hide from me.

"You know, little one, if I wanted to eat you I would have done it by now," I said looking down at the little creature. She hissed in response but I reached down and petted her through her hissing and growling. She had backed her way into a corner and couldn't escape. I picked her up and set her on my chest and she tried in vain to tear it up. I just laughed and nuzzled her, teasing her more as her frustration started to build.

"What are you going to do now, little Mittens?" I asked as she batted at me angrily. "I'm going to get you; I'm going to get you!" I chuckled and rubbed my face into her soft belly. She grabbed on to my hair and I heard the door open behind me, causing me to look up at Demetri with a kitten stuck to my face.

Yeah, it was going to be a little difficult to convince him I was sane.

a/n Thanks for reading please review.


	37. Chapter 37

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my Beta**

**Chapter 37 - Method to my madness**

**Epov **

I quickly pulled Mittens from my face and pulled my towel tighter around my waist. "Clothes?" I asked and Demetri threw some at me that smelled of fresh blood. I tried not to let it bother me that he had killed someone for my clothes. It was in his nature to kill humans and he thought nothing of it. I took Mittens with me into the bathroom and set her down on the counter as I changed. She stopped hissing and sat back and watched me curiously as I dressed, deciding to play with the necktie hanging around my neck. I guess Demetri stopped to remove it before tearing the guy's throat out after snapping his neck since it was spotless. How considerate. The victim's wallet was still in the pants. I pulled it out and saw the man was a doctor.

I huffed in annoyance; of course he couldn't kill someone of less value.

"Something wrong?" Demetri asked.

I'd had enough of his carelessness. "Yes," I said walking out and threw the wallet at Demetri who caught it with ease. "You killed a healer, you fool!"

"What?"

"Look, if we're raising humans as cattle, we want a healthy herd. You killed a healer. You need to be more careful."

He laughed at me. "I have no need to be careful of whom I kill," he sneered.

"Right, because illnesses such as the black plague only happen once in a lifetime. Or was it Spanish influenza or the bird flu? Ah, let us not forget mad cow disease, AIDS/HIV and cancer. They do not plague the human race at all. Our food source is not being threatened at all, now is it?" I sneered back.

"This is not our concern," he defended weakly.

"Not of our concern? If an illness such as the black plague or Spanish influenza was to hit the human race now, who do you think would suffer most? Our numbers have not decreased, you dunce; we've grown in number because we do not die. If even one third of the human population were to die out then so would our race, you fool! Mind what you eat!"

"Right, and what is it that you eat, young one, since you seem so wise?" he taunted.

I rolled my eyes. "Those that are a burden to the humans. The less burdens they carry the more prosperous they'll be, thus the wider the selection for us," I smirked.

I tucked Mittens into my coat pocket, still a little surprised that she had settled down. She still hissed and growled toward Demetri but seemed to be more accepting of me. She snuggled down, not even poking her head out. I stuck my hand into my pocket and gently stroked her sleepy head and she started softly purring. Demetri smirked, his thoughts laughing at the stupidity of the small creature to trust me.

I let my mind open more, taking in the thoughts of those around me. I had a chance to show the Volturi a new way to hunt and I would take it. It was still murder but it would not be as damaging to the human race as the loss of a doctor.

I made my way to the roof tops and peered down into the alley. It was twilight, which meant the more dangerous of men would be coming out.

I watched as a man stood on a corner waiting for a buyer. He was a drug dealer. "See, like this man here," I pointed out. "He deals drugs, sickening the herd. It's just as bad as hunting on another man's territory. They sicken, weaken and often kill your food source. He would have been a much better choice."

"Ah, yes, but he's not your size," Demetri smirked. I turned and smiled. "Very well, but if I'm to hunt now, it would be to kill the likes of him or similar." I was about to jump down on my prey when I heard the panicked thoughts of a woman.

"Wait, this way." I ran across the roof tops, not waiting to see if Demetri would follow. I knew he could track me. The man had just hit the woman, knocking her unconscious. He was ripping at her clothes when I pounced on him. I snapped his neck and fed, letting the blood coat my throat and my eyes rolled back in my head in pleasure. I could sense Demetri nearby watching me feed. I finished my meal and he dropped down next to me now that it was safe. I would not defend my kill now that I was full.

"Why this one?" he motioned to the man and then glanced over at the woman.

"The cows reproduce, do they not? If you have vermin like this in your herd killing off your cattle and destroying the ability to reproduce, then your herd thins. Humans are sensitive, especially the females. The trauma of this event will probably take years to get over, delaying her reproducing." I shook my head playing my part. "You should take out those who would upset them. As much as we hate to think we depend on anything, we depend on them reproducing and giving us our next meal."

I took off my coat and wrapped the woman up in it. "We need to place her by a hospital. They'll find her and run tests on her, letting her know she was not violated. She will hopefully be reproducing soon."

I made my way to an urgent care facility and left her there. It was as I was leaving that I realized Mittens was still in the pocket. I went back for her but found she was not there. I traced her to a dumpster and Demetri readied to pounce on her. She moved to the edge of the dumpster and I moved to save her but just as Demetri dove for her she jumped out of his reach and his momentum was too much to be stopped. He slammed into the dumpster, covering himself in waste and stench. To my surprise, Mittens sauntered up to me and I crouched down, holding my hands out to her and she rubbed against them in acceptance. Demetri watched in disgust and amazement. "That creature is just as insane as you are!" he shouted.

I nodded, picking up the kitten. "Maybe so, maybe that's why we get on so well." I put the kitten in my shirt pocket and looked up at Demetri, fighting to control my snickering as I watched him digging something brown out of his ear while removing a rotten banana peel from his head, the slick smelly slime still left behind. He was furious and wanted revenge. Somehow, though, I thought Mittens might teach him a thing or two as I remembered my first attempt to catch her at Bella's apartment. She actually taught me some respect I'd not previously had for felines.

However, I would not let him harm Mittens. "We've not heard from Jane or Alec," I said ignoring his furious thoughts. "Do you think they returned without you?" I asked.

"No! They're dead, the fire consumed them," he snapped.

I furrowed my brow and shook my head. "I'm sorry for your loss and for the guard's loss as well," I said sincerely. "Please send my condolences to the brothers." I shook my head and started walking away but kept a close eye on his mind.

He considered killing me and the cat but thought Aro would be more upset with him. Aro seemed to like the Cullen's alive. He wanted us to join his guard but never spoke of why. He suspected we were gifted but I had shown nothing but insanity. Demetri wondered what Aro would think of my way of selecting my food. He thought it less than appealing but was afraid Aro would see reason in it. He wished he could hide it from Aro but knew it would be in vain. Nothing was hidden from Aro.

Nothing.

A/N Thanks for reading please review.


	38. Chapter 38

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my Beta queen, worship at her throne!**

**Chapter 38 – Mail Man**

**Epov**

I ran in the opposite direction of Bella, making sure that Demetri wasn't following me. I had suspected right, as I followed his mind and he'd started tracking me. I followed his thoughts and slowed down, letting him catch up to me. I wanted to get this over with so I could go home.

I sat on a park bench and waited quietly, petting Mittens. I would have to feed her soon and that was going to be complicated.

"It took you long enough to catch up," I spoke in a whisper knowing that even though he was still quite a distance off that he could still hear me. Mittens didn't notice him at first but her whole body registered his presence once he was a few yards away. Her hair spiked up as she arched her back and she started growling and hissing at him. "Is there a reason you insist on upsetting my cat?" I asked and looked up at him.

He was scowling at us. He didn't like Mittens or any other creature for that matter. In fact, he barely even liked other vampires. "You're insane," Demetri growled lowly at me.

I shrugged. "If you say so, though I think you must be just as insane as I. You did run into the fire for nothing. At least I had a reason, even if I didn't want to share it with you at the time," I said cuddling Mittens closer.

"Your attachment to that creature is preposterous!" he shouted pointing at the cat.

"It likes me, what can I say. I think you're just jealous because it hates you. Anyway, what's it to you? Surely an important Volturi guard such as yourself has more important things to do than follow around a lowly, cat loving vampire such as myself. It makes no sense."

His thoughts were furious and he began to wonder if my talent was animal charming which he thought would be completely useless.

"What is it you really want, Demetri?" He was furious and my calm just seemed to annoy him more. He was planning to dismember me and kill me. I couldn't have that.

I didn't want to kill him, either, because he needed to go back and report the loss of Jane and Alec. If he didn't and was lost himself, more guards would be sent and my scent being everywhere would lead them back to my family.

I had to send Demetri home. One way or another.

He lunged at me but I moved and scowled. "Why are you coming after me? It's not like a Volturi guard to start trouble with a compliant peasant. I don't think the brothers would approve of your actions."

He growled at me, lunging again but I easily moved out of his way again. I set Mittens up on a tree limb and walked to a more secluded area. "Fine, if we must, we must, but I do think you'll regret this," I said coolly.

He lunged at me again and this time as I moved out of the way, I took his arm with me, ripping it from his body. I threw it off into the distance with plans to track it down later. He came at me again, ready to grab me but I dodged his arm and tore at his leg. He was furious as he hopped around to see me standing there with his appendage. I dropped his leg to the ground and did my best not to laugh at the furious one legged, one armed vampire trying to look intimidating.

"Demetri, I'll excuse your attack, as you must be very distraught over loosing Jane and Alec and not acting in your right mind." I ripped off his other arm. "My family regards the Brothers as royalty and friends. We know they would not approve of this behavior." I kicked him down and removed his last leg. "I'll send you home, Demetri, and when I do and Aro reads you to find out what happened, he'll get this message." I ripped off his head and held it in front of me. "I'm very sorry for your loss. I know Jane and Alec were honored guards and will be greatly missed. As for Demetri, take it easy on him, as I'm sure he was just upset at losing his friends."

Demetri started shouting profanities at me and I just shook my head at him. "It's alright, my friend. I'll send you home and I'm sure you'll start to feel better there," I said playing up that I was just trying to comfort a grieving man. I was fully aware that Demetri was not grieving but almost happy the bratty twins were gone.

I stashed the head in the bushes and snuck into the post office. They had several different sizes of Priority Mail boxes so I grabbed several of the largest ones. I would have to break up Demetri some more but it couldn't be helped. I was lucky to fit his torso into two of the largest boxes; his head would be another matter. Mittens hissed and swatted at the limbs, dodging the grasping fingers as I poked them down off the sides and into the boxes. I was careful to keep her away from his head, though, because his mouth was still very dangerous to her. She grabbed a mouth full of fabric and pulled on his clothing in a sort of hopping and batting tug of war, sure she was wining the fight. I chuckled a little watching her. "He isn't so scary now is he?" I asked her. She sauntered over to me, sure she had whooped Demetri all by herself and I tucked her back into my shirt pocket.

"I wouldn't break the boxes if I were you," I warned. "You wouldn't want to lose a body part," I said as I tucked the last of him into another box. "Just relax, you'll be home and be reassembling in no time." I lovingly wrapped his head in bubble wrap and tucked it into the box padded with wadded up newspapers, minding his snapping teeth the whole time.

He took up fifteen large Priority Mail boxes and of course the one plain box I had found for his head. This was going to be expensive. I swiped a wallet from a successful looking business man, using one of his credit cards at the automated postal station and shipped off all Demetri's limbs. I then found a FedEx store so I could ship the head. They would not ask questions about the odd contents. I used the cash in the wallet to ship his head using FedEx, doing my best to be discreet about it.

Demetri was growling and cursing, but the sound was muffled through the newspaper and bubble wrap I had wrapped him in. The FedEx man looked at the box nervously.

"It's just a recording. It's a novelty head for Halloween. It's motion activated. The more you move it the more it shouts and vibrates. Pretty neat, really," I said.

He just nodded and slapped the postage on it and set it in a pile of urgent mail that would be shipped off first thing in the morning.

I had one last chore and then I could go home. I found the address in the wallet of its owner and took off to return it. I found the quiet suburban neighborhood and took to the roofs to stay out of sight. I was lucky to find the upstairs window unlocked and partially open. I snuck quietly inside, listening to the sleeping people. I set the wallet down on the dresser and made my way to the study so I could find the man's bank information. I had used a large amount of money and I planned on returning it. Mittens hopped out of my pocket and walked around the desk top like she owned it. I popped open the locked filing cabinet. I would have to reimburse them for it as well. I quickly found the bank information and memorized it so I could make a large deposit when I got home. When I sat up, I realized Mittens was no longer on the desk or in the room for that matter.

It took me a minute to sniff her out and I realized that these people had another cat somewhere. I listened carefully and could hear the heartbeat of a cat upstairs next to a child. I was also able to zero in on naughty little Mittens as well. I heard some crunching coming from the kitchen. Apparently, she'd found some cat food. I saw no reason to deprive her any longer and went to the kitchen and sat on the floor next to her waiting for her to finish her meal.

She started making a funny am-nom-nom noise as she ate, causing me to chuckle. "Silly girl," I whispered. "Hurry up, we need to get home." She finally finished off the bowl but started off sniffing in another direction. It wasn't long before I realized she was looking for the cat box. I picked her up and took her to the offending box inside the wash room. I stepped out so she could have some privacy. I didn't know if cats were sensitive about that stuff. Mittens' cat box at home was tucked away in the bathroom in a private corner so I assumed she needed privacy for her kitten moment.

Once she was done I tucked her into my pocket again and she snuggled down. We would finally be able to head back to my Bella. I ran full speed; nothing would be stopping me now.

**BPOV**

I was back to pacing. It had been two days and he still hadn't returned. Alice said that he was finally on his way and that I just needed to be patient, but I would feel better once I had him in my sight. No, scratch that. I would feel better once I had him in my arms.

We had caught the news reports talking about the huge forest fire that had destroyed over a thousand acres of land. I knew the fire had started close to the house. It was sure to have engulfed it. I burst into tear knowing that my Mittens was gone and now Edward was busy with some other problem while trying to get home.

I curled up in a ball on the bed, hugging the pillow to me. "You're sure he is fine?" I asked for the millionth time.

"Yes, Bella, he's fine and on his way, alright?"  
I was feeling tired and weepy, still upset about losing my kitten but even more worried that Edward was in danger or hurt. I knew Alice said he was fine, but I didn't know how she knew or if her visions could be wrong. He never called or contacted us and it was driving me insane waiting. I didn't know what I would do if I lost him. I realized now I was much more attached to him than I thought. My whole body ached in worry and I knew I would not recover until I knew he was fine.

He just had to be fine.

A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!


	39. Chapter 39

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen!**

**Chapter 39 ringer**

**Epov**

I flew down the dark road leading to the hotel where I left Bella. I hoped that she was okay and that room service had been enough to keep her healthy the few days I was gone.

I caught Alice's thoughts before I saw her. "Here are the keys," she thought and tossed me her car keys so I could drive Bella home. She disappeared into the night as I came to the hotel room door. I opened it and peeked inside. Bella was curled into a ball and I could hear her crying softly.

"Bella?" I whispered not sure if I should disturb her.

See turned to see who had called her and when she saw it was me she flew off the bed and wrapped herself around me bawling. "I was so worried, Edward. Please don't ever leave me like that again," she said sobbing into my neck. I held her against me, inhaling her scent deeply. I had missed her, too.

"You're smoky, were you near the fire? Are you okay?" She jumped down and started looking me over.

"I'm fine but I had to go in to get Mittens," I said and pulled the kitten from my pocket.

Her eyes widened in shock and new tears burst forth. "You saved her."

"I had to; I didn't want you to be upset," I explained but I didn't expect her response.

She looked furious. "UPSET?" She got right in my face. "Edward Cullen, don't you ever, ever do something so STUPID again! Mittens I would have gotten over, but you! Don't you ever risk your life doing something so…"

I cut her off by kissing her. It was me she had missed, it was me she was worried about and cried over. I wanted to marry her. It was okay to kiss your fiancé; I just had to ask her. It was then I realized I'd lost her ring in the fire. I would have to wait for another time.

Bella stumbled back as I released her from the kiss and she looked at me stunned.

I decided to make small talk. "So, Mittens and I are friends now." I reached out and petted her head and Bella smiled as Mittens nuzzled into my touch. "Alice brought a car so we can just drive home whenever you're ready to leave," I said motioning to the door. I didn't know what to do exactly but I knew I shouldn't be alone in the hotel room with her much longer. I missed her horribly and I knew I would use any excuse to hold her.

She passed me Mittens and got to work packing her bags. I watched her move around the room and I was able to take in our surroundings a little more. There were food wrappers scattered around and several empty tissue boxes. "Are you ill?" I asked picking up a box. I noticed Mittens playing with one.

"No, just upset that you were gone. I'm glad you're back. You won't leave me again like that, will you?" she asked and she seemed so small and fragile, like a human child.

"No, Bella, I promise I'll never leave you," I said pulling her into my arms, trying to offer her some comfort. "Now let's get you home to the estate where it's safe, okay, Love?" I asked and she nodded in agreement.

I took her bags to the car and helped her inside. I smiled when I realized the tissue box she was holding in her lap was empty, well except for little Mittens whose head popped up when I started the engine. I reached over and scratched her little head causing her to purr in response.

"She seems to really like you now."

"Yes, we had time to do some bonding. She's not so bad for a kitten. I'm glad she warmed up to me."

It wasn't long into the trip before Bella had fallen asleep. I guess worrying about me had really worn her out. I truly hoped she was okay and had not fallen ill. Little Mittens felt Bella's grip loosen on her box so she climbed out and curled next to me, squeezing between the arm rest and my side. I petted her little head and smiled to myself as I felt her little warm body vibrate as she purred at my ministrations. She really was a sweet little thing.

**Bpov**

I snuggled into Edward's arm a little tighter. I felt a little warm spot on my tummy that I assumed was Mittens. I felt the bed and blankets as Edward wrapped me up in a blanket burrito. Little Mittens' furry body rubbed next to my face and I turned away, pressing it down into the pillow. I felt Edward's grip on me loosen and I worried he was leaving me. I whimpered his name and he leaned down, kissing my cheek with his cool lips. "Stay," I whimpered fighting back tears. "Please hold me."

I felt him scoop me up and I sighed in relief. "Don't leave me," I whispered.

"I won't, I promise, now rest, Love." I felt his lips press into my hair as I dozed off again.

**Epov**

All my worrying about her health was not for naught. Her breathing seemed labored. I was worried her chest was congested and that she was fighting pneumonia. I had Carlisle look her over after she spent a night coughing and sniffling and he let me know she had a chest cold and sinus infection. I gave her the prescription he gave me for her with her food. She took it without question and let me check her temperature regularly.

She was a very compliant patient, as long as I promised to stay with her. The problem was, I wanted to get her a ring but she wouldn't let me leave her side. Alice suggested I take her ring shopping with me but I was too nervous to even consider asking her to join me. I figured if I showed her the ring and she thought it was for something else I could play it off until she was ready to marry me and I would get her another ring. I knew it was the coward's way but I couldn't lose her. I didn't know if I could handle her rejecting me.

"Edward?" Her sweet voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, Love?" I asked.

"What has your face looking so serious?" she asked as she casually stroked Mittens' fur. I was still trying to think of a way to answer her when little Mittens arched her back and hissed toward the door. She still wasn't comfortable around the others in my family.

Esme's thought interrupted my worried mind as she asked me to step into the hallway with her for a moment. I told Bella and I could see the worry and reluctance in her eyes as I left the room, but I stayed in the hall by the door if she needed me.

Esme's thoughts quickly went to her husband. "Carlisle tells me you want to propose to Bella?" she said smiling softly.

I nodded my head yes nervously.

"Have you obtained a ring?" she asked curiously wanting to see it if I had.

I shook my head no. "I had one but lost it in the fire."

She smiled up at me brushing my hair from my forehead. "Honey, have you thought about giving her your mother's ring?" she asked me. She knew I had a few keepsakes of my parents and her wedding ring was one of them. Of course, if I showed it to Bella and she didn't like it, I didn't think I could handle it, or the rejection, if she said no to me when I presented her with such a private part of me.

It was like Esme could suddenly read my mind. "Edward, trust her to love you. You'll see, she'll love it and cherish it because it's a part of you." She pulled me down and kissed my cheek and I gave her a tight smile.

"I'll think about it," I said and she squeezed my hand.

"That's all I'm asking," she said and disappeared from the hallway. I slipped back into the room and Bella was sitting on the edge of the bed and she threw herself into my arms as I entered.

She cried softly. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me but I just need to be with you and I hate when you leave me. Please don't go again," she begged.

I was starting to worry that there was something more wrong with my Love than just a bad chest cold. I would have to talk to Carlisle again but I first had to settle Bella down and get her to sleep. I couldn't propose to her while she was in this state.

I was afraid she wasn't in her right mind and I was sure it was my fault.


	40. Chapter 40

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover!**

**Chapter 40 High on Edward**

**Bpov**

I didn't know what was wrong with me. I had never indulged in narcotics but I was beginning to believe I was addicted to one. It was driving me insane. I had to be near Edward. The need was a small niggling at first. Just me missing him and wanting him close by. Then it grew to where I wanted him in the room with me. It wasn't enough that he was in the same building anymore; I needed him where I could see him. Then it grew again. My need for him was insane. I couldn't understand it but my body was wracked in pain when I was not touching him, and not just any contact, but I needed to touch his skin. I didn't think he noticed that but I did and I did my best to hide it. I only ever touched his hands and arms, knowing that by touching anything more he would become uncomfortable, and when he would hold me in my sleep I would press my face into his neck so I could feel him.

I didn't know if it was his scent or his cool skin itself but I needed it and it drove me crazy when he would just step out of the room for a minute to talk to his mom. I knew that was bad but I couldn't control it. I think he was starting to notice.

He took my temperature. I had caught a bad cold and he was a perfect sweetheart, waiting on me hand and foot even more than he usually did. He did make me take a few steaming showers alone but I was able to keep myself under control. That was before it had gotten as bad as it was now. I knew for a fact he wouldn't let me pull him into the shower with me but that didn't mean it didn't cross my mind.

Alice brought up another bowl of soup and Edward sat on my bed side. I wondered if he noticed that I kept my pinky touching his hand the whole time I ate with my other hand. I tried to make it casual. His hand was just sitting on the bed next to mine so I carefully moved my hand over so my pinky was resting on top of his. He scooted away a little but I moved my hand until my pinky was on him again. If he moved his hand away I would outright grab his hand and make him hold mine.

We could do that, right? That was innocent enough. I let out a little huff but played it off as blowing on my soup. Once I was done with it, he handed me the bottle of water and pointed to the pills on the tray. I didn't like taking the pills. They would knock me out and sometimes when I woke up I wouldn't be touching him.

I tried to fight against the irrational part of my brain and tell myself I was fine, that I didn't need to touch Edward but that didn't stop my hand from inching back to his and touching his with my pinky once I had popped the pills into my mouth. I had a problem but I didn't know how to fix it.

I didn't think they had Vampire Addicts Anonymous.

**Epov**

I gave Bella her medication, waiting for her to fall asleep. I knew she didn't sleep well when I was not with her but I had to talk with Carlisle. Once she was out, I stepped out into the hall way and called for my dad.

He rushed up to me, holding little Alistair and smiled at me. "How are you doing, Son?"

I brushed back the baby's little locks of golden hair and smiled.  
Carlisle's thoughts turned to me enjoying holding children of my own some day. Of course, I didn't know how that was going to happen if I couldn't get Bella in her right mind. I would never take advantage of her like that.

"Dad, I think something is wrong," I said and watched as he listened to her breathing.

"She's sounding better," he said but I shook my head.

"That's not it. I think she's addicted to me."

"Has something happened? Have you fed on her again?" he asked.

I shook my head no. "She just freaks out if I'm not in the room with her and, well, now I think she needs to touch me. I didn't notice it at first. I really wish I could read her mind to know for sure but she's always touching me somehow, even if it's just lightly with one finger. I don't know why but I think she's addicted to me for some reason."

"Hmm, let's see if it's you specifically or any vampire. Why don't we wake her and see if my touching her calms her as well."

I didn't like the idea of anyone touching my mate but I would just have to suck it up. Something was wrong with my Bella and I wanted it fixed now. I nodded okay and led him into the bedroom. I had to tamp down my growling as he approached her. He stopped and his mind implored me to settle down, that he would never hurt her. I knew it was true but she was MINE.

Mittens hissed at him and came running over to me, jumping into my arms. Carlisle stopped and smiled, watching me pet her. He shifted Alistair in his arms and looked over at me, asking with his mind if I would hold the little guy. I nodded okay and took Mittens to the closet and tucked her into my shoe so she would feel safe and went and took the baby from Carlisle.

He was so tiny and warm and wiggly. He only seemed to be half awake and nuzzled into me a little. I moved him over to my shoulder and rubbed his little back since I could hear the gurgling of his tummy. He was overfed and needed to burp. I was surprised he wasn't crying.

I watched as Carlisle sat down on the side of the bed and looked at how I had Bella wrapped up tightly in the blanket. He raised an eyebrow at me in question and I just mumbled that I didn't want her to be cold which was part of the reason. There was no way I was telling him my girl had roaming hands. I heard a little thump in the closet and went to see what Mittens was getting into.

She was hanging by the sleeve of one of Bella's sweaters. She was pawing at it and kicking with her legs, thumping against the wall of the closet. It looked like her little teeth were stuck in the sleeve of the sweater. I squatted down next to her dangling form and carefully unhooked her mouth with one hand. I pulled her up into my arms and she nuzzled my neck and then looked over at the baby in my arms. She let out a nervous growl but I pulled her back and turned little Alistair so he could get a better look at Mittens. They had not introduced animal feeding to him yet so I was pretty sure he wouldn't try and eat Mittens.

Alistair rubbed his foot across Mittens' head and Mittens rubbed against it in response and I swear little Alistair smiled. His foot was just big enough to cover the top of Mittens' head and so she decided it was made just for her pleasure.

Alistair flapped his arms in her direction trying to get her attention. I knew he wanted to hold her but I didn't think that would be a good idea just yet. When I read his mind, he wanted to grab her and put her in his mouth, not to eat her but just to see what it would feel like. I knew that was part of a normal baby's development but not something that could be done safely with little Alistair.

"EDWARD!" I heard Bella sob and I was at her side instantly, laying little Alistair and Mittens next to her and pulling her into my arms. Her arms were around my neck and her face pressing into my throat. I looked to Carlisle for an answer and he showed me what he had done.

He had just woken her but once she noticed I was not there she became agitated. He could tell she was trying to hide it and took her hand testing to see if his skin contact would settle her but it did nothing for her.

My stomach twisted as she whimpered, asking for me as I was distracted by the kitten and baby. Carlisle promised I was here, just checking on Mittens in the closet. She tried to calm herself, wrapping herself in the blanket and rocking back and forth but it didn't work. She gradually became more upset and finally called for me.

'I think she is addicted to you, Edward. I don't understand it. We only secrete the enzymes while we feed but somehow she's getting them from you even when you're not. Once you have her settled down and sleeping again, come to my lab and we'll run some tests on your skin. Don't worry, Son. We'll get to the bottom of this.'

I truly hoped we would, as I couldn't move forward with asking her to be my wife until it was under control.

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	41. Chapter 41

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen and my Mittens magic maker. LOVE HER!**

**Chapter 41 addicted to love**

**Epov**

Once I had Bella settled and sleeping, I left her to find my father, moving as fast as possible, not sure how long I had before she woke up. When I made it to his lab he already had several tests set up waiting for samples.

He motioned for me to come forward and held up the swab. He took several samples of venom from my mouth and also swabbed the skin on my neck and hands, as that was where Bella would usually hold onto me. He took a couple of samples from my chest and back just to see if it was a body wide issue and did one swab of his own body as a control.

He started working and frowned as he did. "This isn't turning out how I thought it would. Maybe if I took the samples while you were in her presence?"

He grabbed his bag so he could take another set of samples and we headed to Bella's room.

"Go ahead and sit next to her and I'll take some samples and do it again while you're touching her, alright?"

"Okay." I sat down on the bed as he took the samples and then took her hand in mine as she slept. She let out a little sigh in her sleep as if she could sense I was there touching her.

Carlisle finished up by taking a swab of her palm that was in contact with me to see if she was absorbing something off of my skin and slipped out quietly.

**Bpov**

I woke to Edward holding my hand and squeezed it to pull him out of his thoughts or whose ever he was listening to. He gave me a smile but it didn't reach his eyes. I climbed up into his lap, hoping I was offering him more comfort than making him more uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?"

He gave me a tight smile. "I think you're addicted to my touch and Carlisle is running some tests to see if it's so." He was quiet for a moment and then asked. "Are you?"

I looked up at him and I wanted to tell him no, that I loved him before this whole addiction thing got out of hand but I couldn't lie to him.

He let out a breath. "It's okay, Bella, you don't have to say it. We'll find a way to make it better, I promise."

I suddenly felt a surge of panic; did that mean he was going to leave me? Was that how he was going to make it better? Isn't that what they did to addicts; they took away what they were addicted to?

"Hey hey, calm down, are you alright? Does something hurt?" he asked.

"Don't leave me, you can't leave me. Please, please don't go away, please," I begged and he pulled me closer. I buried my face in his neck and breathed him in deeply. I wound my fingers into his hair and wrapped my legs around him. I would not let him go.

Carlisle came in a few moments later and asked if I was alright. Edward said yes, that I was just needing him for a moment but he was wrong; I needed him forever.

**Epov**

Bella was wrapped around me and having a panic attack. I noticed the more skin that she touched the more she relaxed. My father made note of that as well and suggested I take off my shirt. I shook my head no at that Idea.

"Edward, I need to see how her body reacts to you. I need to see if it's harmful to her in any way. I'm going to have to run some tests. So far from what I've found, you're secreting the enzyme but only in her presence. I think it has something to do with her being your singer and you not being able to not want her. You resist her, yes, but there is a primal need that your body is pushing you to indulge in. Unfortunately, she has no control over her absorption of the enzyme and has become addicted."

This was the worst possible news I could have received on this subject. My Love was addicted to me and it was possible that she didn't ever truly love me.

"What I would suggest is hooking her up to some monitors so I could see the changes in her body. One, from not touching, two touching, and three, out right indulgence."

"What, you mean feed off of her?" There was no way I could do that to her again and especially not in front of my dad. They way we reacted to each other while we fed was too personal to share with anyone else.

My father could see my resistance. "I don't have to be in the room, Edward. You just have to be sure she stays hooked up while she's high so I can document the effect you have on her."

I shook my head no.

"He wants you to drink from me?" she asked in a small voice.

"It's not going to happen so don't worry about it, Love; we'll find another way to run the tests."

"Edward, please, this would be the easiest way," Carlisle argued.

"It's okay, you can have me," she said looking up at me with her big brown eyes.

"I don't ever want to hurt you," I whispered.

She smiled softly. "It doesn't hurt, Edward; if anything, we've established that it feels good."

I groaned softly, not wanting to hear this. I didn't want to drink from her. Even if she didn't feel the pain I knew on some level she was in pain. "Bella," I said in a pleading tone.

"Please, Edward, just a little taste," she said nuzzling into my neck. "I just want a little. I'll be good, I swear, and I'll let you run all the tests on me you want, I promise. Please?" she begged licking her lips. Her eyes darted from mine to my neck and ear. She let out a little moan that I think a normal human would not have heard. She wanted to taste me, not the other way around.

If I was going to help her, this was the only way to do it. "I'll get the equipment and set it up while you two discuss it. I really think it's the best way to help her, Edward."

My father was gone and I looked down at my girl. She was sick and I needed to help her. I just didn't know how. She nuzzled into my neck, unable to control herself and I felt her give me a hot open mouthed kiss and her tongue licked and sucked me.

I hadn't realized I was purring until my father knocked on the door. I quickly moved Bella off my lap, ashamed to be caught in such a compromising position. I opened the door for him and helped him bring in the equipment.

Bella was fidgeting on the bed and I knew she was trying to settle down and not panic but it wasn't working. I reached out and took her hand and she sighed in relief, thanking me softly under her breath. Mittens avoided my dad but started dancing around and trying to attack the wires to the EKG. She couldn't figure out which she wanted to do more, attack the wires or jump around arching her back and hissing at Carlisle. She finally managed to spook herself when she pulled on a wire and it popped up and fell behind her, bumping her in the behind. She took off into the closet, certain that something was after her. She lay there with one eye peeking around the door, watching Carlisle suspiciously.

My dad had also brought a machine to measure Bella's brain waves as well. He attached a little pulse oxcimeter to measure the oxygen in her blood as well and to make sure she did not fall into a dangerous range and have brain damage.

Once she was all hooked up he nodded at me and I let go of her hand. We watched as the monitors spiked as she panicked and I tried to soothe her from across the room but it wasn't working.

"That's enough, Edward, go ahead and take her hand again." I did just that but she climbed into my lap, burying her face in my neck and sobbed softly. It broke my heart that she had to go through this. She didn't deserve this.

Once she settled down, Carlisle watched the readings for a while before he asked me to remove my shirt and hold Bella against me. She wrapped herself around me and I had to work hard to control myself as she began sucking on my neck and chest. He made a few more marks on the read outs and then stood up.

"Okay, I'll just step outside for the last bit. Call me when you're finished," he said and set a scalpel on the nightstand next to the bed.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't hurt my girl.

What I didn't count on was her seeing the scalpel and taking matters into her own hands.

A/N Thanks for reading please review.


	42. Chapter 42

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen.**

**Warning this chapter is HOT!**

**Chapter 42 Give and Take**

**Epov**

Before I could register what she was doing, Bella had grabbed the scalpel. I thought she would cut her other arm or hand where I had drunk before so I restrained her arm thinking it would keep her from cutting it, but that was not what she went for.

Suddenly, the smell of blood burned my nostrils, ripping down through my throat. I closed my eyes trying to gain some control over myself but it was no use. A growl ripped through my body as my monster fought his way forward.

When I opened my eyes, Bella was licking the blood off the scalpel. The edge of the blade sliced the tip of her tongue and then she licked her lips coating them in the luscious sweet smelling blood of her body.

I tried to look away but when I looked down, I saw the blood seeping through her shirt. She had stabbed her breast. My body reacted in kind, nearly roaring in response but she didn't flinch. I ripped the scalpel from her hand and moved across the room trying to get control of myself.

I closed my eyes and turned my back, trying to remember that she was my mate and that I loved her and I couldn't hurt her. Once I thought I had gained some semblance of control, I turned around only to find she had undressed, exposing her bleeding breast, the puncture wound right next to her nipple, from which scarlet drops of nectar were dripping.

My growl was uncontrollable as I pounced on her, pinning her to the bed. My monster did not see a beautiful undressed woman but dripping blood and took her nipple into his mouth, savoring the sweet beautiful taste of my singer. She was exquisite. Her fingers wove into my hair, pressing me tighter against her as she moaned in pleasure. I tried to fight my body's response to her but it was hopeless. I was pressed in between her thighs and her legs wrapped around me accepting my advances, encouraging me as she pushed back against me, grinding against me in the most wonderful way. She felt amazing all over. In my mouth, in my hands, against my body. She was everywhere and I was losing myself in her quickly.

She moaned and squirmed under me and before I could register what was happening she had slipped off the rest of her clothes. Her body was laid out below me to feast on and she was offering it up to me willingly. I tried to restrain myself, I tried to pull back but when I did, she pulled my face up to her blood covered lips and I was lost again. I had to claim her. She was mine. She was my mate! MINE MINE MINE!

I hadn't realized I was growling this until she answered me back, "Yes, yours. Make me yours, Edward," she said bucking up against me in the most delicious way. I inhaled her sweet blood and the scent of her arousal and gripped the bed trying to stop myself. I didn't want to hurt her and I knew I had very little control over myself right now.

She was not letting me stop, though. I had pulled away, burying my fists in the mattress and closing my eyes, trying to will myself to stop breathing but my body wouldn't have it. Her sliced tongue licked my lips, causing the little restraint I had left to dissolve. I dove back down into her mouth, so distracted that I didn't notice what her hands were doing until I felt the heat of them slide into my pants.

I tried to pull back but she shocked me by pushing my clothes down with her feet. My eyes widened as I watched her take a few drops of blood off of her tongue using her finger and then rub them on her other nipple.

My instincts peaked and I attacked her. I was not sure all of what I was doing but she was mine and I would make sure she would never forget it. I knew I was being too rough but I couldn't stop. She just felt so good. Too good, and I couldn't reign myself in. I could smell her, her scent, her blood, her arousal. It was all around me and all over me. I couldn't get enough of her, her warmth, her flesh, her blood, her body. It was mine. All mine.

I could hear her faintly calling my name but my haze of lust and hunger was too much to understand what she was saying as I was consumed by her.

And then it happened.

My body stiffened and I let out a roar. My insides twisted and pulsed powerfully in a way I had never experienced, leaving me feeling spent in a way that I never knew existed.

I looked down at the woman beneath me and my heart broke. She was panting and wide eyed. She was high. I pulled away from her trembling body to check her out to see if I'd physically hurt her and saw what I had done. I had taken her.

I mean really taken her, in a biblical sense. I shook my head ashamed as I noted the proof of her innocence on my body. Her blood no longer appealed to me but made me feel sick. I ran to the bathroom and vomited up what I had taken from her and wished I could take back what I had done. I had violated her, dishonored her. I had taken her virtue during her time of need. She was sick and needed help and I had taken advantage of her. If my soul was not already hell bound I was sure it would be now.

"Edward," I heard her sweet voice call to me.

"I'm here, Love," I said making my way out of the bathroom.

She looked timid and worried.

"Come, Love. Let's get you taken care of." I was sure she would be sore. My poor girl. What had I done to her?

I carefully lifted her from the bed and carried her to the bathroom. I set her on the edge of the tub and noted the purpling of her skin in several places. If I could dismember myself I would.

I set her carefully into the water, pouring in some sweet salts to help with the bruising. "I'm so sorry," I whispered but she didn't hear it. Her fingers were tightly wrapped around mine as she let out a sigh. She had fallen into a peaceful sleep, a small smile on her face. I sat watching her rest, adding warm water when it would start to cool. She needed her rest but her body needed this reprieve as well. I would sit watch so she could do both. I would take care of her until she was well again.

Carlisle tapped lightly on the bathroom door asking if he could come in. I said yes and he stepped in quietly. He noted Bella was sleeping in the tub and that she was covered in bruises.

'You'll have more control with her in time,' he thought.

I just shook my head at him unable to voice my shame. This was not how I wanted this to happen. We were supposed to be married and in love. She was supposed to want me.

"Edward," my father said my name softly pulling me out of my thoughts, "We'll fix this. I got the information I needed. Just give me some time. We'll work this out," he said with an encouraging smile.

I just nodded my head and he slipped out, leaving me to watch over my sleeping beauty.

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	43. Chapter 43

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta and magic maker.**

**Chapter 43 Saddle Sore **

**Bpov**

I was sore but still felt good at the same time. My whole body ached and I was silently thankful that I was in the bathtub still. I think every inch of my body was bruised and any sort of pressure would have hurt. I looked up at Edward who was sitting frighteningly still for being alive. I would have thought him a statue, a very sad statue. His face was pained and buried in his free palm. The other still cradled my hand.

I gave him a little squeeze and he looked up at me and smiled sadly. "How are you feeling?"

I smiled. I was naked and he was sitting here next to me while I was naked. I was giddy and shy at the same time. "Um, I think I'm okay," I offered.

"Let me get you something to eat," he said and I was about to protest when he told me that the food was waiting in the room for me. He grabbed my big fluffy robe and I carefully leaned forward and released the water from the tub. I tried to stand but it freaking hurt like hell!

His arms were around me instantly, gently wrapping me in my robe. "Don't move. Please, just, let me take care of you," he said so sadly it broke my heart.

To my great embarrassment, Carlisle came in with his doctor's bag and thankfully gave me some painkillers. My hips were definitely worse for wear and I wasn't going to tell this to Edward but I think they may have been broken. Most of my body was a deep purple color which caused Edward to ask Carlisle if I could have internal bleeding. Carlisle confirmed what Edward had apparently already known; that I was fine, just a little beat up and would be spending some time in bed. He also left me some icepacks to place on the more painful areas.

Mittens jumped up on the bed and rubbed up against me, causing me to flinch away. I was still trying to figure out why my whole body hurt. I understood my hips but seriously, it was my whole damn body. I guess when Edward loved he did it thoroughly. I looked at him and noticed that he was still only wearing his pants and they were low slung on his hips. You would think that my body would know better than to get arouse after what happened last time but it didn't care. I wanted him again. I wondered silently if it was just because of my addiction or if I truly had a heartfelt need for Edward. The pills Carlisle gave me knocked me out so I would have to wait until I was awake again to finish my contemplation.

I moaned in pleasure, cold hands rested gently on my sore body. I opened my eyes to see Edward had removed the old icepacks from my hips and replaced them with his hands. He looked so upset.

"Edward," I called to him softly.

His glassy eyes met mine. "I'm so sorry, Love. I'm so, so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

I tried to sit up to tell him I was fine but my body protested. I guess I would not be doing anything that involved my hips for a while.

"I think they're broken," he mumbled looking down at my hips. His hands covered the deep purple bruises perfectly.

"Edward."

He sniffled a little.

"Edward, I'll be fine with time. I'll heal." I tried to comfort him but he just let out a sob.

I reached down and pulled on his arm trying to get him to climb up the bed so I could hold him but he was impossible to move. "Edward, please," I begged and he finally let me move him. I pulled him up my body and wrapped my arms around him. "I'll be okay. You'll see. I'll be fine," I whispered as he buried his cool face in my neck. I didn't know how he did it but he kept his body from putting pressure on mine and at the same time let me use him as a giant icepack. He was such a sweetheart.

I kissed his cheek softly. "Please don't be upset, Edward."

His sad eyes met mine. "I don't ever want to hurt you."

I smiled. "I know." I held him in my arms for a moment and then I realized something.

I was thinking clearly. The last time I was high for days and then dying for a fix but for some reason now I wasn't high at all and I felt fine. I wondered if I could handle him leaving the room. "Edward, could you maybe get some more icepacks and call for Carlisle to come back in?"

He looked at me confused for a moment and I smiled in response. "Please?" I asked.

He carefully moved off of me and when the last part of his body was no longer touching me he stood still, waiting for my protest. It never came. I was fine. I nodded at him to go ahead and he moved toward the door slowly watching my face.

"I'm going to go now," he said pointing to the door.

"Okay," I said and he stepped out the door and then I remembered something else that I wanted.

"Edward!" I called and he rushed back in and was holding my hand instantly.

"Yes, Love, I'm right here," he reassured me but I was not upset.

"Um, can you bring me some caramel and apples, too?" I asked feeling a little embarrassed that I had him all worried when I called him.

"Apples?" he asked confused.

"And caramel," I added.

He got up, slowly walking backwards toward the door. "Are you going to be alright while I'm gone?"

"Yes, I think so, but don't take too long just in case. Use your super speed, okay?"

He smiled and nodded then disappeared out the door. He returned just moments later with more icepacks and a tray with my snack on it. "My father is on his way up. He had to get the baby settled before he could get away."

"Where is Esme?"

"She's taking care of Irina; she had a very difficult pregnancy and delivery. Esme is watching over her making sure she survives. She would be very upset if Irina passed. They're very close," Edward said with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"So, having vampire babies is dangerous?" I asked.

He shrugged. "If left unchecked and not handled properly, it would be deadly but if the mother's vitals are watched closely and the baby taken at the right time before too much damage can be done, then there's a good chance both mother and child will survive. You have to remember, this is not Irina's first baby, either. She had some underlying complications from the last pregnancy. My father was against the insemination but Esme and Irina wanted to try again. They wanted another baby so my father eventually gave in and little Alistair was born. Irina is still alive but it'll be awhile before she's fully healed. I'm afraid we waited too long to take the baby this time. Quite a bit of damage was done to her but I was able to repair most of it before it was fatal. She'll survive," he said solemnly.

"So, it's dangerous but possible to survive and do it more than once?" I asked just curious.

Carlisle stepped into my room smiling. "Yes, it's possible to have more than one half breed child, just not recommended for obvious reasons. So, Edward tells me you think you're feeling better?"

"Um, I think so, I'm not sure really."

"Well, the fact that Edward is across the room and not touching you is a good sign. You mind if I take a few readings off of you?" he asked holding up the electrodes.

I shrugged. "Sure, that's fine."

He ran his test and hemmed and hawed a little and then finally looked up at Edward. "Do you agree with my assumption?"

Edward shrugged. "I don't fully understand it. She was high when I unhooked her and put her in the tub."

"Do you mind if I do a few finger prick tests to see if the enzyme is present?" he asked me.

"That's fine with me. Whatever you need," I offered.

Edward stepped out of the room for the finger prick but came in afterward and removed my band-aid and licked it shut. I thought it was silly that he left in the first place if he was just going to come back and lick my finger anyway. I was surprised that he had so much control as he did it, too. He didn't even growl at Carlisle.

"So, I'll get this back to the lab and let you know what I find," he said moving to the door.

"Thank you, Carlisle I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Bella. I'll get back with you soon," he said and then he was gone.

I looked up at Edward and sighed. He still looked so sad and broken. I motioned for him to lean down to me and I reached up and pulled him to me for a gentle kiss. He leaned back and looked at me longingly and I smiled at him, which turned into a smirk.

"You know, of course, that I'm now ruined for any other man," I said. His face fell and he started to apologize again but I quickly cut him off.

"I'm not talking about my body, Edward. I'm talking about my heart. It's yours now; I can't see any other man ever owning it but you." He smiled beautifully at me, gently squeezing my hand.

And as soon as I was healed, I was determined we were going to try again.

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	44. Chapter 44

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is the beta queen and the Mittens expert!**

**Chapter 44 Me first**

**Bpov**

As the days passed and my body began to heal, I noticed Edward's mood did not improve. I thought he would be happy to see that I was truly fine and he'd done no permanent damage to me but it seemed he was upset about something on a deeper level.

It had been six weeks. Six weeks of bed rest, board (bored) games, card games, way too many movies to count and a mess load of fancy meals, but I was finally cleared to try and walk. My hips had been broken, but they should have been healed by now and with the high calcium diet Edward had me on, I would be amazed if they weren't stronger than they were before.

Carlisle came in and began his exam, lifted my leg watching for pain. He moved it to the side, watching to see if I would flinch but I didn't. I was fine and anxious to get out of the house. My bruises were all gone and my hips were dying for a walk.

Carlisle gave me a clean bill of health and I threw myself into his arms and hugged him, sending the feather I had been harassing Mittens with shooting off the bed and floating away on a gust of air. Mittens, who had been lurking under the edge of the bed waiting for me to put my hand within her reach again, went hopping sideways from under the bed skirt and skittered around the room chasing said airborne feather. She had come to be a lot more trusting of the rest of the family and had even taken a liking to Emmett of all people. Who knew the huge teddy bear of a man would sit in the middle of the floor holding the tiny kitten like spun glass nuzzling her while she batted at the curls on his forehead?

I was standing on the bed as I turned to Edward. "You, Mr. Pouty Face, are taking me out for a picnic now!" I demanded playfully and he gave me a weak smile and nodded yes in agreement. He was out the door before I could say another word and I grabbed Carlisle before he could do the same. "Hey, before you take off, can you tell me why Edward is still so upset? I'm fine," I said jumping on the bed a little to prove my point.

Carlisle sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the space next to him. "Edward is from a different time, Bella, and so to him it was more than just physical pain he caused you. To him, he stole your virtue and that's something that does not heal. He's ashamed of himself for taking it and there's nothing really we can do to fix that. It was just the way he was raised. I'm sorry, dear."

Moments later Edward came through the door sporting his weak smile that he had been wearing for the past six weeks and I finally understood why. My heart ached for the sweet gentleman that cared for me so deeply. I doubted there was another man on the planet that would have reacted the same way and would be feeling shame for such a thing. I would do my best to help him find his happiness again. I missed his crooked smile.

We walked out to the meadow where I had first seen him sparkle, where I had fully realized how different he was but knew I truly didn't care. It was a very fitting place to be to cheer him up. He laid out the blanket and pulled out the food. I stretched out under the clouds, silently wishing for sun so I could see him sparkle again. I could feel him watching me so I rolled over and smiled.

"I wish I could see you sparkle again. You're so beautiful."

He looked down at his hands for a moment and I crawled over to him, thrilled I could do so without pain. "What can I do to make it better?" I asked in a whisper knowing he would hear.

He frowned a little. "Make what better?"

"You? You're so sad, honey, I know you don't think I notice but I do. I don't like it when you're upset. I just wish I could make you truly smile again," I said brushing his hair off his face as I looked him straight in the eyes. I wanted him to know I meant business. I also noticed that his eyes were more of a gold color like the others instead of the red or burgundy they usually were.

"What I've done, you cannot fix," he said softly.

"What have you done? What hurts you so much that you can't feel happiness anymore, not even with me?"

He just shook his head at me. I was getting tired of his sad mood. I wanted my happy boy back.

Then something popped into my head that Charlie had said once concerning Renee and Phil. They had been living together for a few years before Phil finally married her and Charlie said that he was finally making an honest woman out of her. Maybe that was what Edward needed. I already knew that I loved him. I knew that he loved me and I didn't see that changing any time soon. In fact, when I thought of the future, it all revolved around being with Edward. I wanted to be with him.

The decision was made and so I would make the move that would hopefully save my sweet boy from an eternity of self flagellation. I had to work fast while I still had the nerve. I grabbed his face and made him look me right in the eyes. "Edward, marry me," I said. His brow furrowed and he looked at me confused.  
"I want you to marry me," I repeated a little less sure of myself.

He grabbed me and set me in his lap. I was about to ask him if he was going to answer me when he covered my mouth with his finger telling me to shush. He reached into the picnic basket and pulled out an old worn blue box and opened it showing me a beautiful antique ring. "Now, will you let me do this the proper way?" he asked and I smiled so big it hurt my face. I just nodded my head yes in return.

"Isabella Marie Swan, I've never met anyone like you in all my years and I know I'll never meet anyone else like you again. You have me wrapped around your heart and at your beck and call, serving you has brought the most happiness I've ever felt and you never cease to amaze me. Would you please do me the honor of being my wife and my mate?"

"Yes," I whispered before kissing him thoroughly. I pulled back panting with tears running down my face. He kissed them away softly and then slipped the ring on my finger. "It's just beautiful."

"It was my mother's. It fits you perfectly. I think I like that."

I leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"So, I guess I took the hard part of asking me when I asked you first, huh? I was pretty much a sure thing," I said laughing at myself.

"I was surprised, that's for sure. I honestly don't understand why you would want to marry me."

"Oh, Edward, you're so sweet, kind and wonderful. I've never felt so cared for, pampered or loved until I met you. I know that no matter what, you'll always be there for me. That you would never do anything to hurt me."

He frowned, looking at his hands when I said the last part.

I grabbed his chin and made him look me in the eyes. "I know you don't want to hurt me, Edward, and that says a lot more about your character than anything else I named. I love you."

He inhaled sharply and pulled me tightly to him. I kissed his neck where my face was buried as he held me and he did the same. "I love you, too," he whispered, "So much."

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	45. Chapter 45

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen**

**Chapter 45 Catting Around**

**Bpov**

When we got back to the house, Alice seemed to be freaking out more than usual. A mess of vampire hissing erupted around me. One would have thought I was in a snake pit. I finally grabbed their attention by waving my hand at Edward. It wasn't so much Edward's attention that was caught as it was Alice's.

"You did it!" she squealed. "Oh, I'm so proud of you, Edward. I was going to try and see for myself if you would but I got distracted with the Volturi mess." She grabbed my hand yanking me into her arms. "After this is all over, we're planning a huge wedding! I can't wait!"

She disappeared and I turned to Edward. "What just happened?"

"I think you just got yourself a wedding planner," he said rubbing his chin.

"Okay, I got that part but what's going on with the Volturi?" I asked. We had faced them before and made it out okay, but that didn't mean I wanted to do it again.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Edward?"

"They want a cat."

"What?"

"They want a cat. Well, more specifically, Aro's wife would like a cat and thought maybe Marcus should have one as well."

"Are you serious?"

"As the plague."

"So what, they're coming to get Mittens?" I said defensively. No one was taking my cat!

"No, they're coming to stay with us for a while so they can learn how to handle the cats."

"You're serious about this."

"Yes, I don't know how this happened. Demetri was sure I was insane but apparently Aro didn't see it that way. He wants a cat for his wife and thought it might cheer up Marcus."

"Cheer up Marcus?"

"Yes, he lost his mate and has been sad ever since so when Aro saw me and Mittens interact through Demetri, he thought having a cat might do him good."

"You're really serious about this?"

He let out a huff and nodded yes.

"Well, where are you going to get the cats?" I asked.

"I don't know, Alice said something about rounding up some strays but that's easier said than done." I remembered him attempting to catch Mittens and knew that this would be a project I would have to undertake myself. We would need some very even tempered cats if we were going to introduce them to Vampires.

I went to the kitchen and was pulling out some cans of tuna when Alice came in with a large pillow case. "It's for the cats," she informed me.

I just shook my head. "Are you sure we can't just get them from the pound?" I asked.

She looked at me confused. "I don't think they want dead cats, why would we get pounded ones."

"No, animal control cats. They would have some we could adopt."

"Oh, is that where people get cats?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, some of them."

"Could they have kittens?" she asked.

"Um, no. They fix them so they can't reproduce."

"Oh, well, I can see that they'll want kittens."

I let out a sigh. "Why don't we check the paper?"

"What?"

"The newspaper. A lot of times they'll have free kitten ads in them."

"Oh, brilliant!" Alice said excited and ran off.

Edward came in taking my hand. "Need a snack?" he asked looking at the can of tuna in my hand.

"No, just…never mind," I said putting it down and started back to my room. "So, what are you guys going to do with the Denali's and the kids?"

"Vacation. Well, Tanya and Kate will be taking the kids to Disney World but Esme will be taking Irene and Alistair to a house we have in Alaska to hide out. I've asked Esme to take you with her."

"Not going to happen," I answered plainly.

"What?"

"Look, Edward, these cats are going to freak out and the Volturi will think something's up. I'm going to stay here and play cat expert and help them get settled in their new home."

"Cat expert?" he asked skeptically.

"Have you ever heard of the dog whisperer?" I asked in a duh voice.

Thankfully, Emmett backed me up. "Dude, he rocks, can we get a dog, too?"

I heard someone yell, "No!" and giggled to myself.

"So, I'm the cat whisperer and I'll be staying with you until your cat friends are settled."

"FOUND SOME!" Alice called excitedly. "Come on, Bella, let's go get them!"

I waved to Edward, leaving him a little stunned. Once in the car, Alice turned to me. "Just so you know, he'll fight you every step of the way. He doesn't want you anywhere near the Volturi."

"I know and I don't want to be near them, either, but I don't think this cat story is going to go down without some help."

"I know," she said tapping her head.

We pulled up to a little house with a woman holding a box sitting on the steps. "Hi, are you Alice?" she asked.

"She's Alice," I said pointing to where she was waiting in the car. "I'm her roommate and wanted to see the cats before we got them."

The woman frowned but opened the box. I saw four very cute but very overweight cats that looked to be just under a year. "They're really mild tempered and very friendly," the woman said trying to get me to take them. It worked. I smiled up at her. "They're going to be great. Thank you," I said sincerely and closed the box up. The woman sighed in relief. I had to laugh a little to myself. I was sure these cats were eating her out of house and home judging by the size of them. I had never seen such huge fat cats to be so young. The box was heavier than I thought but I managed to get it to the car without dropping it. The hissing started as soon as I sat down. I was sure they could sense Alice was nearby. She ignored the hissing and put her hand in the box petting the angry cats.

This was going to take a lot more work than I thought.


	46. Chapter 46

**Hey, everyone, Dollybigmomma here. Savanna is currently visiting family for Thanksgiving but worked her happy writing fingers to the bone before she left to leave you with an update! Give her some love, as she's traveling across the southwest in a minivan with four little kids! ARE WE THERE YET? **

**Stephenie Meyer still owns it all, maybe even a few Bic lighters as well. Nah, probably not…**

**Chapter 46 – Here, shitty shitty shitty!**

**Bpov**

So, it turned out that some cats didn't like to share litter boxes. For being a cat whisperer, I wasn't doing very well. The fat felines set about shitting and pissing all over the place, and by that I meant all over Tanya's room. She just seemed to be a magnet for them. Or more likely a target, I snickered to myself. Her closet seemed to be the litter box of choice and she was positively livid, turning a horrible color when she discovered they'd defiled her precious wardrobe. They were usually so docile and lethargic, that was until they got into her room, and then all bets were off. They became little balls of destructive energy, and it was beautiful. Little Mittens was the ring leader, too, and I suspected that she showed them where the best place was to wreak havoc. I suppose it was too bad about Tanya's designer shoes and skank clothes collection. I guess she was going to have to make yet another trip to Whores R Us to restock.

Edward finally calmed her and promised her a spa day at the Disney resort to shut her up and I silently wondered if she would get a tiara. God knows somebody needed to crown her stupid ass.

Much to my amusement and slight worry, Alice had slipped me several disposable lighters. They were the old school, no child guard kind that lit instantly with a nice big flame. She also surprised me with a few bands to wear on my body to keep them hidden in various places. She kept telling everyone that everything would be fine but Edward was getting frustrated as she continued to block his mind reading attempts.

Unfortunately, one of the cats got away and wandered into the family area and Emmett's little half breed boy got his hands on it. Suffice it to say, we were now down to three fat cats. Edward said that he really thought it was a raccoon and was delicious. I could see how easily the mistake could be made.

The entire family seemed to be more and more panicked as the days ticked by. Everyone that was leaving was gone now and I was working with Edward and Alice to get the cats to be more vampire friendly. Two of them were warming up to them but one seemed sure that they and Mittens were nuts.

The day we were dreading finally arrived.

"They're here," Alice said in a creepy voice and picked up the one of the fat kitties. Edward picked up Mittens and I picked up the other fat kitten that didn't mind vampires.  
We walked downstairs and listened as Carlisle welcomed the first of some very creepy people into the house.

"Aro, so good to see you again. Sulpicia, you look as beautiful as ever," he said trying not to let Aro touch him. The Cullens had warned me of Aro's talent.

Sulpicia gave him a tight smile but when her eyes landed on us holding the cats, she smiled widely, stepping forward. Alice passed the cat she was holding to Sulpicia.

"What is this little dear one's name?" Sulpicia asked.

"That's up to you. We had our friend Bella find us these cats when we heard you were coming. She helped us get them settled down as sometimes they can be skittish in a new environment," Alice said and winked at her.

"Caius and Athenadora stayed behind but thought if we could bring home a pair, then we could breed them," Aro said his eyes falling on me. I stepped forward so he could get a better look at the cat I was holding. There was a man behind him that looked so sad. "Marcus, what do you think of this little one?" Aro asked the sad man and I walked right up to him and held out the cat for him to take. He sneered a little at it but the cat I was holding was extra cuddly and really cute. When he reached a hand out to touch it, the cat reached back with both paws, holding on to him and rubbing his head in Marcus's hand, purring loudly.

I saw Aro smirk out of the corner of my eye when Marcus's lips twitched upward. Marcus looked at me questioningly and I passed the cat to him. "It seems the kitty likes you," Sulpicia said smiling.

Carlisle invited them into the family room, promising to show them up to the guest rooms momentarily. To my surprise, there were seven vampires in all in the Volturi group.

"Ms. Swan, why don't you come with me while our guests visit with the family?" Edward said suddenly and nervously ushered me away. He quickly took me to his room and asked me to stay there. He looked at me longingly for a long moment before he disappeared and my heart fell to my feet. Something was wrong.

What happened after that, I didn't know, but a man who told me that his name was Felix came for me a short while later. I was extremely nervous about the whole thing and wondered where the Cullens were. I had a horrible feeling that wouldn't leave the pit of my stomach. I followed because I knew I wouldn't have a choice in the matter. He led me back out to Aro, who eyed me speculatively.

"So, you were young Edward's mate. That's a bit more than just a 'friend of the family' I would say," he said eyeing my ring and I didn't like the past tense he was using.

"Where are the Cullens?" I asked. "Where is Edward?"

He smirked. "Well, young one, they were breaking a few too many of our rules and so unfortunately I had to dispose of them, especially seeing as how you know all about us," he said coolly and smugly, as if he were talking about taking out the trash. Now I could see why the Cullens wanted these horrible people out of power. They were monsters!

I wanted to crumple on the spot and scream and cry, but I held myself up and bit my lip hard to control my trembling. If Edward was dead, he would want me to fight, so fight I would. This cold bastard deserved what was coming and I was glad to give it to him.

Aro stepped forward and touched my cheek, tipping my face up so I was forced to look him in the eye. "See this, Marcus? Not even a flinch when we make eye contact. And I can't seem to get a read off of her," he said frustrated. He looked over at Felix. "Well, don't just stand there, Felix, help Santiago get the rest of the Cullens out of the house and start the fire before they make their way back together," he snapped at the big guy that had brought me in.

I watched in horror as Felix scooped up an armload of pale limbs and started out the door along with another man who was carrying a torso under each arm. They'd torn them to pieces!

Aro's words quickly sank in. They had to build the fire before the Cullens made their way back together. The Cullens were still alive. It was up to me to save them and I had to work quickly and stealthily.

I looked at the people that were left in the room. There was Aro, his wife and his brother. There was also one other woman and from what I knew, she was not Marcus's mate so she must have been gifted in some way, most likely used as a protector. She would be the one I would need to take out first. Edward had warned me that I would not be immune to all gifts. Luckily for me, Aro was still standing close to me and she was standing rather close to him. I discreetly slipped out my most easily accessible lighter, the one from my front pocket, as Aro spoke with his brother. I remembered how flammable their capes were and fake sneezed a few times. On the third sneeze I lit her cape and took a few steps back. "I'm sorry but the heater must have kicked on. It always messes with my pollen allergies," I complained.

Aro's wife was first to notice the fire and screamed in panic, shoving the girl away from her. The three other Vampires jumped around as if they were passing a hot potato until Aro found enough sense to shove the poor girl out the window. Of course, that caught the curtains on fire, setting the house aflame.

"Fire!" I yelled pointing to the curtains. Aro grabbed his wife and me and started out of the room. I was surprised that Marcus just set the cat down so it could follow us and stayed in the burning room. Dude seemed to have a death wish. Oh well, one less to worry about.

I was hanging over Aro's shoulder and decided to light his ass on fire because I could, but first I lit his wife's cape on fire before lighting his.

"Fire!" I shouted, "You're on fire!" I played it off as if the fire had caught us and not the other way around.

Aro had made it to the back yard where he dropped me and started to fight with the flames on his back. His wife had already been engulfed and when he saw this he wailed and just collapsed on top of her. I stood back looking on in shock. Felix growled at me and I backed away from him slowly. He grabbed me by my shoulders. "I don't know what tricks you used on them but it will not work on me," he hissed in my ear. Of course, I'd already ignited his cape behind his back but let him continue his threats until he noticed he was on fire.

He threw me back and the lighter I had fell from my hand. The Spaniard looked down at the lighter and crunched it under his foot. "The only one going up in flames will be the Cullens, but only after I have myself a snack," Santiago growled at me.

I took a few steps back but ended up tripping and landing on my butt. He jumped down right in my face, hovering over me. "What are you going to do now, little girl?" he sneered, growling at me as I slipped another lighter from behind me.

I lit him up and smiled. "Use my other lighter," I said smugly and he looked down to see his clothes become engulfed in flames. I rolled away but didn't get far when the last man jumped on me, knocking my lighter out of my hand as he landed hard on top of me.

I cried out in pain.

"Enough, you sick little human! You think you can take down the Volturi but you're wrong!" he said focusing on me. He must have wanted to use his power on me but whatever it was, it wasn't working. Just as he moved to kill me manually, I quickly slipped out another lighter and lit him up.

"Hmm, that's nine down and six to go," I said smirking at him. He looked at me confused and jumped back when he saw he was on fire. "Yeah, I killed Jane and Alec and now you'll be joining them."

"Not without taking your precious Cullens with me!" he yelled and ran, throwing his flaming body on the pile of body parts. My body went into adrenaline overdrive as I quickly acted to save my beloved family. I firmly grabbed his leg and yanked him off the pile, stomping out the few places the fire had started on the Cullens' remaining tattered scraps of clothing.

The last man started crawling back toward the pile once more but I grabbed his leg and put my foot against his hip and shoved him with all my might, moving him back from the pile again. He finally collapsed, completely consumed. I sat down on the pile, breathing hard and fighting back the tears, wondering where I had gotten the strength to fight so hard against a determined vampire. "Edward," I bawled because I needed him and I was scared and the adrenaline rush had started to wear off, leaving me in a shaky panic and I didn't know how to help them. "Please, Edward, help me!"

I felt a hand grab my ankle causing me to jump. I kicked it away until I looked a little closer and realized it was Edward's arm. I quickly picked up his arm sobbing. "I'm sorry, so sorry," I said kissing his hand, crying my eyes out.

I dug through the pile looking for more parts and found his legs and then the parts of his body. I set them down next to each other and his body seemed to wiggle towards itself, instantly re-fusing. I found the rest of the pieces of him and finally his head, moving it to the top of his body so it could reattach itself. His arms slowly reached up, pushing it down hard against itself and he took in a deep shuddering breath and looked up at me. "My Bella," he said sadly.

I looked over at the pile of the rest of them and asked if they would be okay. He winced as he sat up slowly and kissed my hand. After a few moments of painful fusing, Edward got busy reassembling his family. Limbs were being tossed in every direction and finally when the last piece was sorted, he moved to each pile, quickly rearranging them.

Alice came together first and after she pulled herself together enough to get up, she came over to me and hugged me. "I knew you could do it, Bella. I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you but I knew Edward would have sent you away and we would have all died."

I cried into Alice's shoulder. "Don't you ever pull shit like that on me again! You learn to fight better or get some back up," I sobbed.

Emmett came over and pulled me out of Alice's grasp. "You're one hot chica, little sis."

Jasper was holding his wife and Emmett took his wife into his arms as well. Carlisle came and hugged me, thanking me for saving his family. I guess they didn't think anything of the fact that they were all pretty much naked. Not such a big deal when compared to being a pile of ashes I suppose.

I looked over at them and they all were just standing back watching their home burn and I felt bad for basically causing this fire as well. That was two fires I was responsible for now and two Cullen homes that had been destroyed in them. I just hoped this wasn't some kind of pattern developing here.

Alice broke my solemn mood by jingling a hand full of car keys. "Road trip! Aren't you all glad that I parked the cars on the driveway now? Let's get moving before the house falls down on them," she said and tossed keys to Edward, Rose, Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle. Edward picked me up and ran me to his car. It was a fancy looking black thing, not his usual silver one which Jasper was driving.

"So, where are we going now?" I asked.

"Alaska," he said kissing my hand.

"Mittens!" I shouted and he pointed to the back seat. I looked in back to see that she was curled up in the back seat with some of her toys.

"Alice and Jasper caught the other three cats on their way to their cars so they're safe as well. So, my beautiful girl, do you ski?" he asked smirking and I just had to laugh.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too," he said and leaned over kissing my cheek, "My hero," he teased.

Snot!

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	47. Chapter 47

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers and Dollybigmomma is my beta queen.**

**Chapter 47 Alien Invasion**

**Bpov**

I woke when I started to feel chilly. I realized I had my head in Edward's lap. I instinctively snuggled closer to him for warmth only to realize that there was none coming off of him. In fact, he was cooler than the car. I snuggled anyway and felt him shift in his seat a little. His hand came down to my face brushing my wisps back and then stroked my hair.

"I'm cold," I mumbled and then buried my face in his shirt. I felt his hand leave my head and turn on the heater. He didn't replace his hand right away but when he did it felt warm as he placed it on my cheek. I turned my head and smiled up at him.

"Morning, sleepy head," he said smiling down at me.

I smirked a little when I realized that Mittens was curled up on his shoulder.

I sat up slowly and kissed his cheek, stretching as I moved to my side of the car.

"So, where are we?" I asked.

"Alaska, we're just a few hours away from the northern estate."

I looked out the window amazed at the frozen landscape. I felt something soft being placed in my lap as Edward moved a lazy Mittens over to me. He then reached back, pulling a jacket forward for both of us to snuggle under. Mittens stayed completely hidden under it, not even bothering to poke her head out.

"How are my girls? Are you both warming up?" Edward asked with such a sweet smile on his face.

"Yes, thank you," I answered, suddenly feeling very lucky to have such a sweet man in my life.

The others arrived at the estate before us and I was enveloped immediately by a sobbing Esme. "Oh, Bella, thank you so much for saving my family," she said while hugging me a bit tight. I couldn't breathe or move for that matter but I didn't complain.

I smiled up at her and then looked at Edward. I was sure he could tell I wasn't breathing. He always kept track of stuff like that. He pulled Esme into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Good to see you, too, Mom," he teased her a little and she whacked his arm.

"Oh, you stop it," she said smiling as Edward pulled me into his arms. He was much more affectionate now that he had a ring on my finger. I was thrilled myself with both the ring on my finger and what it meant. We had so little time to celebrate it. The stupid Volturi had caused such a fuss immediately, raining on our just engaged parade.

Alice, however, seemed to be prepared for it when we arrived at the Alaska estate. She set out a mess of catalogs while pulling up a few sites on a much smaller computer screen than the one that was at the house that had just burned down.

"Don't worry, we had fire insurance," she said seeing the worry on my face when I thought they wouldn't be as comfortable here as they were back home. "And anything that was of any value was already packed into the cars or shipped here," she grinned tapping her forehead. "We'll just rebuild bigger and better, you'll see, and we'll have a wonderful honeymoon suite for you and Edward as well," she smirked and winked at me.

She pulled up a few lacy night things and put them in the cart before I could say anything. I just shrugged. What the heck. You know, if he liked them then why not. I should try and please my husband shouldn't I?

It wasn't much later that Edward came and insisted I take a break to eat and sleep. He always kept a much closer eye on my schedule than I did. I wanted to protest but ended up yawning which just made him smile smugly as if I had proven his point.

I let him wrap me in my blanket like a Bella burrito and snuggled tightly into his neck. I didn't know how long I was out but I was woken by a soft purring of my name. "Bella, please," he moaned and I realized I was nibbling and sucking on his neck in my sleep. I kissed his neck softly, nuzzling back into it again. "Sorry," I whispered.

"You make it very difficult to be a gentleman sometimes." His hand ran down my back and pulled me closer to him. I hummed in contentment. "Well, you make it easy to want you," I said, not meaning to tease him but I felt his hand tighten a little on me. "Soon, my love, I promise, as soon as we're married things will be very different."

"No more Bella burritos?" I asked.

He chuckled. "You have to sleep sometime, Love."

"Sleeping is overrated."

"Yes, well, I hear sex is, too."

"But it's not," I said looking him right in the eye. We were both in a bit of a frenzy when we had gotten together but that didn't mean it wasn't awesome.

He let out a soft growl. "If you continue to speak so crudely, my dear, I'll have to leave," he said but softened his tone by rubbing his nose against mine. "I don't want to leave, Love," he purred. "Just sleep," he said and kissed my forehead softly.  
I breathed him in deeply and went back to sleep. When I woke again, I was surprised to find him looking at ice sculpture books.

"Edward, are you taking up a new hobby?" I asked teasingly.

He frowned a little. "No, these are for the wedding. If we have ice around, I can blame my cold hands on touching them when I'm force to interact with your parents."

"My parents?"

"Yes, Love, you plan on inviting them to our wedding don't you?"

He looked almost hurt and I let out a sigh. He was right. I would have to invite them. "Okay, but we should tell them over the phone before we send them an invitation."

"You don't want them to be part of the wedding party?" he asked surprised.

I rubbed my face and tried to imagine my mother acting sane enough to attend the wedding and I couldn't seem to picture it in my head.

"You want to elope?" I asked and he frowned.

"Are you ashamed of me?"

My insides twisted in the worst way. He thought I was ashamed of him and it hurt me to think that I may have hurt him.

"No, no, Edward, please understand, my parents are a bit difficult. If anything, I'm ashamed of them, but not really. It's just, they don't mix well with other people on this planet," I added the end quietly.

"They associate with aliens?" he asked surprised and I laughed sadly.

"Well, my mother sure as heck thinks so. Look, I don't want our wedding to be ruined by special hates or alien attacks, or hell, aliens in general, but my mother is a firm believer and I'm afraid she'll think you're an alien of sorts."

Edward pinched his nose. I knew he knew that he and his family looked different. They were normal enough to blend most the time but to an avid alien hunter like my mother, she would spot the different species immediately.

"I just worry that she might think you're abducting me."

Edward got up pacing the room. "That's exactly what we did isn't it?"

"Edward."

"No, it's fine, we'll figure it out. I know it's important for a woman to have her mother there to help her dress and speak to her about her wedding night and it's important that your father is there to give you away. It's tradition, Bella, and I won't take that from you," he insisted.

"Well, my Dad won't think you're an alien but there's a good chance he'll do a back ground check on you."

He waved that off. "We get new records every few years. I'll just make sure they're current for him to look at," he said and I was relieved that he didn't see that as a problem.

"Edward," I said his name softly and a little worried. If I was him, I wouldn't want to marry into my family. "Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked scared he may change his mind now that he knew what a nut my mother was.

He took my face in his hands. "I've never been more sure of anything in all my years," he rested his forehead on mine. He let out a breath and I breathed it in deeply, enjoying the cool air. The heater had made the room stuffy and he was just the cure for that.

"So, are there any good aliens? I mean, would your mom be okay with you marrying one?" he asked dead serious and it made me giggle a little.

"Oh yeah, once she gets a look at you, I don't foresee a problem." My mom loved handsome men and that was definitely something that Edward was. I kissed his cheek softly, doing my best not to push him or make him uncomfortable. "My mom will love you and if she doesn't, you can always abduct me and then she would have nothing to say on the matter. You're mine, Edward Cullen, and I'm not letting anyone come in between us," I said firmly. I just hoped he would feel the same way after meeting my parents.

Being abducted by aliens was sounding pretty good right about now.

A/N Thanks for reading please review.


	48. Chapter 48

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta and kitty expert, enjoy her genius.**

**Chapter 48 – Gone Fishing**

**Bpov**

I woke up the next morning alone in my bed but then heard the clank of china. I rolled over to see Edward sporting a new tiara and his purple feather Boa, having tea with Violet. I smiled and held back a giggle when I saw that Mittens and Tommy, one of our new cats, were also seated at the table enjoying a plate of tuna.

I saw Edward peek at me and smirk. He was so adorable when he played tea party. I wanted that with my kids. I suddenly realized that I wanted children with him. He was such a sweet loving man; he deserved to have a family. I knew he wanted one as well. I was a little nervous about the giving birth thing but I knew for sure I didn't' want that tramp, Tanya, anywhere near my man's boys. He was mine.

Violet looked over at me and frowned. We hadn't parted on good terms because I was stealing her uncle Edward. I could see the bond between the two and felt bad for pulling him away from her. I gave her a sad smile and then winked at Edward. "You have a beautiful tiara; did Princess Violet bring it back for you from her Magic Kingdom?" I asked.

He smiled widely and answered me in a high pitch feminine voice. "Why yes, isn't she just so wonderful and generous? I've never met a princess I loved more," he said clasping his hands like he was truly an excited woman and I wondered if I should worry about him being bi but alas, my thoughts were interrupted with giggling.

I looked over at Violet, curious as to what she was laughing at and Edward chuckled a little himself. "Seems Tanya has reunited with our kitty friends. Shall we go save her?" Edward asked Violet and she shook her head no.

"Maybe Ms. Bella could see about saving our kitty friends?"

Little Violet perked up and nodded yes. I got up and kissed Edward's head. "I'll be back." I turned to Violet, "You may wish to get some more tuna ready, your highness. You'll have two more guests shortly." Thankfully she smiled at that. I knew it would take me a while to win over Violet again but I knew it would be important to Edward.

I didn't know where Tanya's room was but the screaming made the way easy to find. Esme poked her head out the door and smiled. "Oh good, you're going to get the kitties. All that screaming is waking up little Alistair."

"Sorry, Esme. I didn't know the cats had gotten out."

"It's alright, dear. It's not your fault. Ms. Tanya is insufferable when is it comes to the cats."

I knocked on the door to see if Tanya would answer but she just continued to scream. I decide that for poor Esme and Alistair's sake, I would go in without permission and save the cats.

Tanya was standing on top of the dresser clutching a pair of shoes and screaming at the top of her lungs for Edward. Alice's two cats, Lucy and Damien were having a grand old time terrorizing Tanya. Lucy had what looked like another pair of Tanya's feather trimmed sleep pants and she was alternating between ripping off the trim and sniffing and kicking the tops of them. Damien was knee deep in her laundry basket, scratching as if he was going to…Ew, that was going to leave a stain. I bit my lip as I watched the cats wreak havoc on her room. Of course, that wasn't the only thing that reeked. The whole place smelled like tuna. Ew.

"You!" she shouted from her perch, pointing at me with her shoe. "This is all your fault! You'll pay for this!"

"Actually, Tanya, it's yours. If you would just take care of your vaginal infection then you wouldn't smell like tuna fish and the cats wouldn't bother with you so much."

"OH! OH! How dare you speak to me like that!" she flailed at me.

I didn't flinch or look annoyed in the slightest. "Like what? I just stated that if you took care of your vaginal infection you wouldn't smell like tuna fish. I was just stating a fact and informing you why the cats seem to enjoy attacking your room so much. It really smells like a fishing market in here," I said waiving my hand in front of my face.

"Oh, you little cretin! Just you wait. I'll get Edward in here and he'll get rid of you and your damn cats, too!"

"Sorry, Edward's not into seafood and I'm not hitting the yellow brick road. And actually, my cat is in my room, these ones belong to Alice. I just came down to help you out because Edward is busy playing tea party with Violet. As for getting rid of me, I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon."

"Oh, just you wait! Edward is mine! He was given to me by his dad!" Tanya snapped.

I would have been pissed if I wasn't so sure of my relationship with Edward and his family and I knew that I was in it for good. "Really? Because Edward was given to me by Edward," I snapped in return. "He's a bit rough in bed but damn he's good," I said letting out a soft moan and rolling my eyes back just to egg her on.

"No, he's not! You don't know how he is in bed, nobody does."

"Oh, I beg to differ. He's in my bed every night and well, he gave me this engagement ring. See, Tanya, he really is mine," I said flashing my beautiful ring. I guess they were sent away before news of our engagement had spread.

"Oh, you little liar! Just wait 'til I get my hands on you!" she spat, glancing down at the cats and then to me trying to determine if she could get to me before the cats got to her.

She growled and threw a shoe at me, which I easily dodged. I guess she decided she couldn't get past the cats. I smirked as the cats attacked her precious shoe and she cried out even more.

Alice finally popped her head in and I saw her holding back her giggles. "Tanya dear, don't you know that's not the way you play with kitties? I bought a whole basket of kitty toys for my babies to play with and here you are playing with them with shoes. You know, you're teaching them bad manners," she chastened Tanya.

Tanya growled again and stomped, causing the dresser to rock. She quickly lost her balance and the whole thing tipped over with her on top. The cats ran out of the room when they heard the loud bang and Alice walked over and looked down at her sprawled on the floor. "Are you alright, dear? You really shouldn't climb all over the furniture. You're not setting a very good example for the children," she said and then stepped out of the door with me and shut Tanya up in her room alone. Someone really needed to speak with her about her language because some of the things we could hear her saying would make a sailor blush. Alice and I grinned at each other as we left.

The cats had struck pay dirt. They were running down the hall with another strip of feather edging and a designer shoe as their trophies. They'd both earned an extra can of tuna tonight!

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	49. Chapter 49

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen!**

**Chapter 49 Probing Questions**

**Caius POV**

It had been two weeks since my brothers had left and no one had returned. I sent scouts out only to find the Cullen's estate deserted and it had burned to the ground. There were vampire ashes but it was impossible to tell who or how many had been burned. Without Aro's all-knowing mind, I found myself blind and feeling somewhat helpless and I missed my brothers for the first time in a millennium. My beautiful wife was sadden at the loss of her beloved sister-in-law and Demetri seemed to think young Edward had something to do with it but I found that hard to believe, as he did not kill Demetri when given the chance, he just mailed him home, leaving a very angry and humiliated vampire bent on revenge. Besides, we had no proof that young Edward ever returned to his family. I knew Carlisle looked down on feeding on humans and young Edward had obviously seen the error of Carlisle's ways and was now feeding in the most interesting way.

Aro had explained the whole theory of taking out those that would plague the human race thus jeopardizing our food source, so we had begun to implement it into our selection routine. A healthy, prosperous herd was beneficial to everyone.

I thought over how easily so many of our guard had been killed and I was afraid I was going to have to deem the American continent unsafe for travel until we found out what happened. The loss of so many in such a short time would no doubt leave people questioning my ability to rule but I had plans to fix that.

Seven young men were brought before me and I looked them over carefully. I wished I had someone who could sense potential powers; at this point, it would be hit or miss. Each were held as I moved down the line injecting my venom into each of them and sent the group away to be watched over by Demetri. He was not pleased to be babysitting but at this point we had no choice. We needed the manpower. I needed to replace that which was lost, and so my new guard was born.

**EPOV**

My Bella was busy and it was starting to bug me. Alice was continuously pulling her out the door to look at flowers and colors or what not. Bella had put off calling her parents but the date had been set so it needed to be done. I was ready to call them myself just to save her from the stress.

I finally was able to pull her away from Alice the fiancée stealer and get her alone for a moment while she was still awake. I slid the phone over to Bella and looked at her expectantly. She pouted but I tapped lightly on it letting her know I wasn't backing down. She picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hi, Daddy." I listened in as he greeted her, calling her honey and asked if everything was alright.

"Everything is great, Daddy. In fact, I'm engaged to be married. I was hoping you would walk me down the aisle," she said cringing a little.

"Baby girl, are you pregnant?"

"What? No, I'm just in love. So, will you walk me down the aisle?"

"I want to meet this fellow before you make any mistakes."

I gave her an okay sign and she turned away from me. "Daddy, you have to be nice. He's right here and he said he was fine with meeting you but you can't mess this up for me."

"Alright," he replied gruffly.

"I mean it, Daddy, he's important."

"Just call me a saint," he said and this seemed to appease her.

"Okay, well, we'll be there this weekend," she said but looked to me for confirmation and I gave her the thumbs up.

She rolled her eyes at my enthusiasm but I truly hoped that her father approved of me and gave me his daughter's hand. I would take it one way or another but I'd much rather have it offered to me. Once she hung up, she smiled. "One down, one to go," I said pushing the phone forward again.

She groaned. "Really? You're going to make me tell my mom and my dad on the same day?"

"Come on; just knock all the mud out with one swift kick," I said and she looked confused but picked up the phone anyway.

"Hey, Mom," she said trying to sound cheerful.

"Hey, honey, how is Seattle?" her mother asked.

"Okay, I think."

"You think?"

"I was calling to let you know I'm getting married."

"Married? Honey, you're just a baby!"

"I know, Mom, but he's the one for me."

"He didn't put anything on your head did he?"

"What? No."

"He hasn't given you any injections?"

"No, Mother."

"Where's he from?"

"Pluto," she said with a completely straight face causing me to chuckle.

"Is that him? Put him on. I want to see if I can get a reading off his sound waves."

"Mom."

"Just hold on a second, I've almost got it set up. Okay, now put him on."

"Mom, you can't run tests on my fiancé."

"That's odd. Honey, are you sure you're okay? Your readings are coming back a little off."

She let out a growl. "Mom, I'm fine, I just wanted to let you know that I'm getting married and see if you wanted to come."

"Of course I do, but I truly do think you should let me run some tests on him first. Aliens can be very persuasive."

Just as she said that, Carlisle walked in smiling. "I would like to see what kind of tests she would run. It would be nice to chat with another scientist."

"Wonderful, then it's settled." I reached for the phone and easily pried it from Bella's hand.

"Hello, this is Edward, Bella's fiancé, we would love to have you come and visit us if you're open to it. At our expense of course. My father would love to see what kind of tests you plan on running on me."

"Oh, Edward, are you sure? I don't want to impose."

"Of course not, Ma'am, you're more than welcome. You're family now you know."

"Oh, Ma'am makes me feel old, call me Renee."

"Well, thank you Ms. Renee. Bella and I will be visiting Chief Swan this weekend; would you be open to coming to visit the following one?"

"That sounds perfect. Do you mind if I bring someone along?" she asked.

"Not at all. I'm eager to finally meet you."

"I'm eager to meet the man who stole my Bella's heart; she was always such a quiet girl."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "I find your daughter very entertaining," I said.

I didn't realize it would be taken wrong until Renee said slyly, "Oh, do you now?"

I stuttered to try and recover. "I meant that her conversation is very entertaining."

Renee just seemed to laugh and Bella pulled the phone from my hand. "Mom, please don't tease my boy. He's too innocent for your dirty mind."

"Alright, honey, just promise me that you're being safe."

"Mom!" she whined.

"Fine, fine, I'll see you next weekend."

"Alright, I'll email you your itinerary. I assume the other ticket is for Phil?"

"Yes, dear. I'm looking forward to seeing you."

"Me, too, Mom. Love you! Bye."

Once Bella hung up, she glared at Carlisle and I. "You both brought this upon yourselves!" she said pointedly and threw up her hands before storming out of the room.

"Her mother sounds quite entertaining," Carlisle said and I smiled.

"Yes, I think she will be."

The trip to Forks Washington was not nearly as long as I thought it would be. Bella was no longer sulking and it seemed that she was genuinely excited to see her father. We pulled up to the little house and Bella ran up the drive. As soon as her foot hit the front step, the door swung open wide and her father caught her in his arms. "Hey, baby girl, how are you doing?"

"Good, Daddy." She turned to me smiling. "Daddy, this is Edward."

I held out my gloved hand and shook it firmly but not too hard so as not to break his hand. I had practiced this with Carlisle. I was sure I could win over her mother; her father was a different story. "Hello, Chief Swan. It's nice to finally meet you."

He just grunted in response and stepped aside so we could enter the house. Bella shot him a look and he rolled his eyes. I chuckled to myself, seeing where she got her eye rolling from.

We sat in the little living room. Chief Swan spent a few moments silently sizing me up before he finally spoke. "So, Edward, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm into investing and artifact recovery." Bella seemed to look surprised at my answer but I guess I hadn't really done any work since I'd met her.

"So, does that mean you're away a lot?"

"No, it just means that Bella will be well traveled."

"What about when you have a family?"

Bella blushed and it looked beautiful.

"I'll be sure to be home as much as possible. Most of my work can be done over the internet anymore anyway."

He nodded. "So, how much does your job pay?"

I understood that he wanted to know if I could support his daughter but my income was a bit high. I decided to dumb it down a little. "I make around three million a year."

Charlie choked a little on what I was assuming was his tongue because he wasn't drinking anything.

"What the hell kind of business are you running, boy?" he snapped and I was sure he was ready to call the feds on me.

"It's completely legitimate, I assure you. I help governments retrieve artifact of the state, that's all. They tend to pay well and I have quite a bit invested and so the interest with my pay runs around three million dollars."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you really want with my daughter?" he growled and I realized this was not going well.

"Daddy, he loves me. Is that so hard to believe?" she snapped.

"A good looking, rich fellow like him? He could have anyone he wanted." I didn't believe he intended to be insulting, but what he said most definitely was.

"Well, he chose me," Bella said defiantly before standing up and grabbing my hand. She started tugging me toward the door. This did not go as I'd planned.

"Now, Bella, I'm just trying to protect you. You don't know what this guy is really into. What does your mother say about this?"

"She's coming out next weekend to the estate for a visit," I said trying to save the moment.

He glared at me. "Sir, if I could please. May I have a moment with you alone?"

Bella spun around shocked and I wrapped my arm around her and cradled her face. "Please, just let me have a moment with your dad. It'll be fine."

She growled just like her father had a few moments ago and stormed off to the car.

I let out a sigh and turned back to a frowning Chief Swan. "Sir, the main reason I came on this visit was to ask for your blessing. I would very much like to marry your daughter and I know it would mean the world to her if you would walk her down the aisle."

"Look, buddy, I don't know who you are but I'll find out if you're really who you say you are," he threatened.

I pulled out my wallet and handed him my license. This one said I was twenty-four. He looked down at it and frowned. "How did you come into so much money?"

"I was born into it, Sir. My family is very well off but we do our best to remain inconspicuous. All our charity work is done anonymously."

"I'll bet it is," he said skeptically.

I let out a sigh. "Sir, I do love your daughter and I sort of understand where you're coming from. I have a niece named Violet that I'm very close to. If anyone ever hurt her, well, let's just say I would have plenty of money to cover up his disappearance. Family is very important to me, Sir, and I want to start mine with Bella."

He grabbed my license and walked back into the house, writing down what he needed.

"If there's any dirt on you, buddy, I'll find it," he snapped.

I nodded okay. "When you find nothing out of the ordinary, would you please call Bella? I know she would truly want you there, Sir."

"Fine, but don't think I can't dig."

"Oh, I'm sure you can, Sir, and I'll confess now that there's one parking ticket but you'll find it was paid off immediately."

"Parking ticket, eh?"

I shrugged. "No one is perfect, Sir, and the meter ran out. I didn't plan to be in the store that long. I should have known my little sister wouldn't hurry up. I was hoping that telling her the meter was running out would speed her up. I think it did just the opposite. Alice can be a bit mischievous that way when she wants to be."

I swear Chief Swan almost cracked a smile but I thanked him for his time and then drove my Bella home. She was quiet for most of the drive so I did my best to soothe her. "Bella, Love, you can't blame him for being protective."

"Edward, I didn't even know what you did for a living."

"That isn't your fault. I have been working lately."

"Do you really make three million a year?"

"No, I make a lot more but I didn't want to sound like a liar. I don't think it worked, though."

She chuckled blackly. "But that's what you are," she said grimly and I frowned.

"Bella, please…"

She looked at me and gave me a tight smile. "We're not moving too fast are we?"

"No, I don't think we're moving fast enough. I would gladly take you to Vegas and elope."

She looked down at her ring and I took her hand in mine. I felt the warmth and electricity of her body flow into mine and I held back a purr. "I love you, Bella; nothing will change that."

She chuckled. "Just wait until you meet my mom and then tell me you still love me."

"Your mother won't change my feelings for you."

"Say that after she probes you."

"Probes me? Where?" I asked nervously.

She just patted my hand. "Oh, Edward, my dear, sweet naive Edward, I do love you so." I couldn't help my reaction as I felt a certain sphincter clinch tightly at the prospect.

I was suddenly very nervous about meeting her mother.


	50. Chapter 50

**SM owns it Dollybigmomma rocks it, I just write it.**

**Okay, my lovelies, I'm sorry for such a long wait. I've been going crazy with all my kids' home for Christmas break and then trying to wrap up my story, Isle of Dreams. I have not abandoned or forgotten you. I was just trying to get Isle of Dreams out of the way so I would have more time to finish Abduction and EDEN. Sorry for making you wait.**

**Chapter 50 – Karma's P.O. Box**

**Epov**

Alice thought me sending a cat to Caius would further prove my innocence in his family's demise. I had to admit, I technically did not kill his family, I was just engaged to the person that did. Alice said Demetri had it out for me and it was a good thing that I was already in Alaska by the time he looked into my location. What surprised me was that he didn't bother looking for my family. I guess he just assumed they were all dead as well and I couldn't say that was a bad thing.

Bella came home with a cat in her arms that seemed really fat, even fatter than the ones she brought home before. When I pointed this out, she smiled at me and informed me that this cat was pregnant and for some reason, it was extra affectionate because of it. It didn't even need any warming up time.

I didn't want to leave my Bella but I would have to deliver said cat to Caius myself and take Mittens along in order to pull this off. I put on my biggest coat so I could tuck Mittens in the pocket. She had been getting bigger so her little head peeked out now. I had to admit, it looked cute and Bella thought so as well as she leaned up kissing me, telling me I was adorable.

She brought me the momma cat who curled up in my arms as I stroked her and made my way to the airport and onto our private jet. I was not looking forward to leaving my Bella but Alice assured me that if I didn't go myself that Demetri would eventually wear Caius down and find out what really happened.

I was not surprised when I was met by two Volturi guards, Corin and Renata. They both seemed interested in the animals I had with me. Mittens was not friendly with them but she wasn't outright hissing at them and, well, the mamma cat didn't care and actually let Corin hold her. Corin's expression softened as she petted the animal and I could hear her blurry thoughts of when she was human. She had a creature just like this one but she couldn't recall its name.

I was led into the main hall and was not surprised to find Demetri sitting next to Caius and his wife. I smiled at his wife, Athenadora, and nodded to Corin. "I brought something for you. I know you suffered a great loss and I find great comfort in my Mittens," I said patting her head.

I heard Demetri growl and Caius narrowed his eyes at him, chastening him.

"I hoped that this might ease your pain, at least a little," I said softly, took the fat momma cat from Corin, and walked forward.

Caius stood still but Athenadora hurried forward with glassy eyes. She took the cat from me and listened intently for a moment. "It's set to have kittens," she said and a flash of excitement crossed her face.

I shrugged. "I thought you may enjoy caring for the babies."

She smiled brilliantly at me and then looked to Caius, who was now sporting a soft smile. I had never in all my years seen that man smile, not even in the memories of others, but his wife's excitement was his crutch and his face cracked as the corner of his mouth moved upward slightly. "Thank you, Edward. That was very kind of you to think of us."

I petted Mitten's head and gave them a sad smile. I was supposed to be in mourning as well and it was easy to play, as my whole body ached because of my distance from Bella.

"Please make yourself at home. I think you'll be happy to hear we've implemented your feeding technique and are doing our best to protect the herd under our rule.

I smiled and nodded.

Demetri made a sound of disgust; apparently, he'd fed off of a drug dealer earlier that tasted bad. Caius's mind was hoping that I would stay and join his guard. They knew I was gifted, they just didn't know how and he thought for a moment that it was with animals as well.

"I do hope you'll stay," Athenadora says hopefully. "At least until Precious has her kittens."

I smiled at the name she had given the momma cat. I decided I'd better stay to keep them from getting suspicious. I mean, where else would I be going? And wouldn't I want to see the kittens born?

I nodded. "That's very kind. I would like that very much," I say smiling at her and looked to Caius, who seemed more hopeful than before. Demetri was just outright pissed. He planned on killing me as soon as Caius and Athenadora's back was turned.

He was jealous of my standing with them. It reminded me of a twisted sibling rivalry but what he didn't know was that I would most definitely win. My beloved's life depended on it.

"Has there been any leads on who it was that killed my family?" I asked and a flash of a blonde haired man came to the minds of Caius and Demetri.

"We don't have any sure leads yet," Demetri said while he thought it was me gone insane that killed everyone. I also picked up that he was sent to track a vampire and his mate who rebelled after the new feeding laws were set. They started a massacre to show their revolt. The woman was killed by the Volturi guard, leaving an angry, vengeful vampire ready to kill them all.

"Do you have any ideas who it could be?" Caius asked.

"No, they had no enemies. My family was peaceful and kind to nomads. I don't understand why this happened," I said a little upset. I noticed Caius's mind cringed when I said family but Athenadora's posture softened.

"Didn't they hold a grudge against you?" Demetri said trying to pick a fight and pin this on me.

"No, they loved me. They didn't kick me out. I left because I didn't want cause contention or argue with them. Carlisle was not happy with my life choice but he still loved me. I know my mom, Esme, was very upset I left. I was going home. I had just talked to my mom on the phone and everything seemed fine. I missed my family and wanted to go home and check on them but I didn't make it there in time. All that was left was ashes," I dry sobbed not able to release actual tears.

Athenadora's mind was one of sympathy as she considered my age and how I called Esme my mother.

"You were changed very young," she stated.

"I had just turned seventeen," I sniffled. "Esme would look after me and now she's gone." I sobbed a little louder and snuggled Mittens closer to me. She put her little paws on my face as if she was hugging me. She was really helping me play it up. Athenadora rubbed my back gently trying to comfort me.

"This is ridiculous! You can't believe he's crying for his mommy! He's older than me!" Demetri yelled.

"Enough!" Athenadora growled. "He's just lost his family, just as I've lost mine. I will not let you trivialize his pain! It's obvious that our first assumption was correct, that the man you were tracking and that escaped you was the one that destroyed our families!"

I could see a clear picture of a blonde male vampire in Demetri's mind.

"You let him go?" I shouted. "You let him go and he killed my family!"

"I didn't let him go, he got away!"

"You're a skilled tracker! No one gets away from you! You had to have let him go! You probably sympathized with him because you thought my way of feeding was ludicrous and insane but you're the insane one! You let that psycho go and now we've lost our families because of you!" I shouted at Demetri and I heard the pieces click into place as he looked over at Caius. What I had said was true. He knew Demetri should have caught the man and Caius also knew that Demetri wasn't pleased with the new changes in hunting laws.

"Is this true? Did you let him go?"

Demetri shook his head, scrunching up his face as he said no. He did let the blonde vampire go, though; I saw it clearly in his mind. It was obvious to all of us he was lying. Caius was pissed and I held back my smirk.

Demetri was going down.

A/N I know it was short but I hope you enjoyed it anyways. Thanks for reading please review.


	51. Chapter 51

**SM owns it, Dollybigmomma rocks it, I just write it.**

**Hooray, winter break is over and the kids are back in school so I actually have time to write! What a concept!**

**Chapter 51 Needing an Edward Fix**

**Bpov**

I wasn't okay. I was trying to be but I could feel that I wasn't. I didn't know why I suddenly couldn't leave my room or pull myself away from my Edward scented pillows or blankets. I had been fine. I was fine up until the day after he left. My body felt tight, as if on the verge of panic, and when Alice brought me my food, I just ended up vomiting. Nothing smelled appetizing, only Edward. I wanted Edward.

Carlisle concluded that even though I was not getting high anymore, I must still be addicted to Edward and was going through withdrawals. I didn't like the sound of that.

**Epov**

I was in my room that the Volturi had offered me to settle in and take care of Mittens when my cell phone rang. Alice spoke low, fast and frantic, saying we had to stage it to look like I was coming to help her find a kitten. She then immediately launched into the role of an upset pet owner, going on about how she lost her kitten. She said that she had tracked it to where there was a bear but there was no sign of the kitten, and she killed the bear but still couldn't find the kitten and she needed me to come right now to help her find it.

"You think the bear might have hurt her?" I asked.

Alice sobbed in return. "Edward, please, you've got to help me. I've got to find her!"

Athenadora tapped lightly on the door and stepped into my room. She gave me a soft smile. "It sounds like your friend is in need of help."

I let out a sigh and nodded to her as Alice continued her hysterics over the phone.

"You should go help her, Edward," she said stroking her pregnant kitty, Precious, and I looked at her pouting but nodded in agreement.

"I'll be there soon. I'm on my way now, so just calm down, we'll find her," I said trying to comfort Alice over the phone.

"Oh, thank you, Edward. I don't know what I'm going to do if I can't find her."

"It's alright. It won't come to that; we'll find her. Now, I have to go so I can pack up."

"Okay, thank you," Alice sniffled and hung up.

I walked over to Precious and petted her lightly, and then set my hand on her squirming tummy. "I really wanted to stay for the kittens," I said pouting, "But my friend really does need my help."

"I understand, Edward, but I'm sure it won't be the last time you come across a momma kitty with kittens."

I let out a sigh. "I know. Thank you for making me feel welcome. I really appreciate it."

She stepped forward and hugged me and I hugged her back. "You're always welcome here, Edward."

I looked at her with a watery smile and nodded my thanks and set about gathering the things I had taken out for Mittens. "Here, kitty, kitty," I called Mittens.

She jumped out playfully; attacking one of the toys I was picking up and made me laugh. "There's my good girl. Come here, sweet thing."

Athenadora was smiling pleasantly at our interaction and thought it was sweet the way Mittens was so taken with me. She hoped Precious and her kittens would feel the same way.

Our pleasant thoughts were interrupted by a furious Demetri. Apparently, he wanted to take one of the dead brother's places and Caius in no uncertain terms told him that was never going to happen since they suspected he may have contributed to their deaths. Then he had overheard Caius speaking with Athenadora about offering me a throne and he took off to blow off some steam and was just making his way back.

He was furious and planned on killing me. The door to my room was knocked off the hinges as he stomped into the room. He was so furious he hadn't notice Athenadora sitting in the corner and immediately started his rant.

"You sick twisted freak! You're not making it out here alive. You tried to pin the murders on me? Well, I've got news for you. I did it! I killed the brothers and your family. They were all unnatural freaks and deserved to die! I did track down that psycho and he was right to be pissed. The brothers were getting soft in their old age and now they're taking in strays! They deserved to die and I let him go in hopes that he would do the dirty work for me and he did!" he laughed. "Now it's my turn to finish up what he started." He started at me but I saw his plan in his head and moved smoothly out of his way, easily snapping off his head.

Athenadora stood, furiously glaring at Demetri. "Guards!" she called. Three guards came in, the two women that had accompanied me and a newborn that was twitching and struggling to stay focused.

"Take him to be executed immediately for treason!" she commanded. Once they had taken his head and body from the room, she frowned at me. "I'm so sorry, Edward. I hope this doesn't keep you from returning soon."

"It's alright. I understand," I said packing up the last of my things in my coat and walked over to her, petting Precious again and then hugged Athenadora lightly. "Thank you for welcoming me. I'll come back when I can," I said and kissed her cheek lightly. I stopped in the doorway and offered her a weak smile. "It's nice to know that even though I lost my family, I have extended family that loves me, too."

She smiled widely. "You do, Edward, take care."

My flight home was much too long and made me anxious. Alice didn't say why I was needed at home, just that I was needed immediately. I was terrified something had happened to Bella and tried calling the house several times but no one would answer.

When I pulled up to the estate, I could hear Bella screaming, "Give him back now! I need him! You have to give him back or so help me I'll burn this house down!"

I rushed into the room to find Bella holding a lighter by the curtains and my family all surrounding her, trying to come up with a way to calm her or sedate her. Apparently, she was so far gone that even Jasper's gift wasn't working on her. Once her eyes found me, she burst into tears and collapsed. "Edward! Oh god, Edward, please don't ever leave me again," she sobbed as I picked her up and looked to my family for answers as to why my sweet angel was so upset.

Everyone seemed to relax and move out of the room but Carlisle lingered a moment longer, frowning at the way Bella nuzzled and kissed my neck. We were engaged and she was upset; it was not inappropriate.

He thought at me, 'When she's settled and sleeping, Edward, we need to speak.' I looked down at my Love, worried that something had happened. I had dealt with the Volturi threat but in doing so, I felt like I'd let down my Love.

She sniffled and cried as she apologized over and over through her hiccupping tears. I shushed her and calmed her, holding her tightly until she finally settled down.

Alice brought in a tray of food. "She needs to eat, Edward. She hasn't been able to keep anything down since you left."

I frowned upset. "You are ill, my Love?" I asked and she just burst into tears again.

"She'll be alright, Edward, she just needs you, some food and rest. She'll be right as rain in the morning," Alice promised and I hoped she was right. There was something she was hiding from me but I had a feeling it wasn't bad because Alice seemed very casually happy about it, like Bella wasn't just threatening to kill them all a few minutes ago.

She walked up and brushed Bella's hair back from her face and smiled. "Feeling a little better?" she asked.

Bella nodded yes but didn't move her face from my neck.

"Good, once you're settled, you should eat. You've got to keep your strength up," Alice said cryptically and skipped out of the room.

"Bella, honey, are you alright?" I asked a little nervous.

She lifted her face from my neck and looked right at my lips before kissing me deeply, savoring every inch of my mouth that I let her explore. Once she was done, she pulled back and let out a sigh of relief, and then smiled at me sadly. "Sorry, things got complicated while you were gone."

Her stomach growled and I brought her tray over to her, surprised she released me after it seemed she had been so on edge when I arrived. She nibbled at her food at first and then quickly gobbled it all down and then lay back on the bed.  
"Thank you, Edward. I'm sorry, just please don't leave me again," she said.

I wanted to question her but she fell asleep before I got the chance. My poor angel was exhausted. It was time I found Carlisle and got some answers.

When I did make my way to Carlisle's lab, I saw Alice leaving with a smile. Carlisle was sitting at his desk rubbing his face, and from his thoughts, I could tell he was purposely blocking something out. "What's going on?" I asked.

Alice startled me by jumping back in the room. Yes, jumping and shouting, "We're moving the wedding up, it's so exciting. You'll be getting married in two weeks!"

I looked at her confused and an image of Bella smiling at me with a veil covering her face came to mind. "She's going to love it!" Alice sang and hopped out of the room like a bunny.

"Carlisle, what's going on?" I asked.

He let out a sigh. His thoughts were clear that he wanted to tell me, but from what Alice had said to him, it was best that I not know yet. "Soon, Son, she promises soon and you'll both be very happy. I promise."

Great day in the morning! I couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone.

Violet was sent to distract me, obviously, and pulled me aside for one of our little tea parties. By the time I was done, I was ready to see my Love and headed for Bella's room. Alice was going on and on about the wedding. She had already called Bella's mother, who was coming out early to help with some of the planning. I saw her glancing at the future, checking to see if Charlie had changed his mind, and he would on Thursday and call once he received the wedding invitation, which they were currently sealing and getting ready to mail.

Just then, Alice blocked her mind and jumped up, heading out the door smiling way to wide for her own good. I was getting sick of all this secrecy.

Suddenly, the smell of blood filled the air, and not just any blood, but Bella's blood. I looked over at her to see her frowning at her finger; she had just cut it on the edge of the envelope.

"Edward, would you be a dear and fix this?" she asked casually, holding it up as if she'd just asked me for a Band-Aid. My brow furrowed, not sure what she was playing at.

"If you're full, it's fine, I'll just get a Band-Aid. It just hurts and well, you have a way of just fixing it."

She was right; I could heal this little cut instantly. I moved over to her carefully and helped her stand. I hadn't tasted her blood since I had taken her. I wasn't sure I would be able to handle the taste of it. That was until I saw the sparkle of her engagement ring on her finger, causing me to smile.

I kissed her finger lightly and then licked it softly. She was so beautiful and her blood so sweet. I had no urge to kill her, just to hold her in my arms again. I leaned down, kissing her lips softly. "I missed you," I whispered.

She chuckled. "I missed you, too."

She seemed back to normal, not obsessing over me, and okay with me leaving the room, so I didn't understand her reaction to my absence. "Let me get you some food," I said remembering Alice said it was important for her to eat.

She pouted a little as I moved away. "Is everything alright?" I asked not sure why she was unhappy.

"I just liked it when you were sucking on my finger. It reminded me of when you were sucking on other things." She said the last part softly and if I could have blushed, I would. I felt my body starting to react to her and needed to gain some control of myself.

"You mean like your arm?" I asked hoping she would say yes and help me out.

She smirked at me and shook her head no.

"You sure?" I asked again hoping for a little help but the vixen just smiled wider as she stalked closer to me.

"You know where I was thinking of you sucking, Edward," she whispered in my ear. "I can see it all over you." Her hand slid down to my waist and I was just able to pull myself together and catch her hand before she embarrassed me by feeling just how well I remembered.

I cleared my throat and tried to think of something to say. "So, your mom's coming?" I squeaked out a little pathetically.

She smiled. "I'd much rather have you coming."

"I'll be there for sure, Bella; it's my wedding, too," I said confused and she giggled at me.

"You're so cute, honey," she said and kissed my cheek. "I just hope you're ready for me," she said with a wink and a sway of her hips as she moved across the room to her bed.

I had a feeling I would never be ready for her.

A/N Thanks for reading please review.


	52. Chapter 52

**SM owns it, Dollybigmomma rocks it, I just write it.**

**Chapter 52 Up Yours**

**Epov**

Renee arrived bright and early and was immediately using some sort of loud squealing meter to wander her way around the garden. Apparently, our spaceship was buried in the back yard. She went looking for it as soon as Carlisle answered the door. She had him speak into her vocal meter, which was hysterical to watch as he eyed her skeptically while saying, "Take me to your leader." This was going to be fun...

As predicted, we were deemed aliens and she needed to be sure we were the good kind, not the brain sucking ones. We didn't suck brains, just blood, but I wasn't going to tell her that. Alice had warned Carlisle about her visit and had him quickly move his blood supply to the back of the wine cellar, which was surprisingly full of wine suddenly. The wine was for the guests at the wedding but I thought it a bit excessive since we didn't actually drink it.

"Mom! Get out of the flower beds for heaven sakes!" my poor Love screamed at her mother, trying to get the determined Renee to stop molesting Esme's prized roses.

"But I think I found something!" Renee shouted. Just then, Jasper strolled by with a wheelbarrow full of manure, setting her gadget off. She ran after him, calling to him to stop as she chased him around the yard trying to use her gadgets on him until he finally relented and stopped. It was funny to see Jasper's mischievous side, and I watched him smirking and throwing confidence at her as she poked around the wheelbarrow and then she pouted when he revealed that she was stomping around in cow dung, not on our spaceship. I looked up and saw Emmett doubled over laughing and wondered what she would think of his impressive Star Wars collection. I had a feeling he would get in on this insanity at some point.

"Mother!" Bella shouted, "Get over here now!"

"Bella, honey, I had to make sure that they weren't going to try and abduct us during our stay. I'm partial to earth, you know. No offense," she said the last bit to me.

I smirked at Bella. "I'm partial to Earth as well. Earthlings are delightful. I could spend all day watching them."

"Edward," Bella growled, "Don't encourage her."

"What? It's true," I said defensively.

Bella glared at me and Renee smiled widely. "So this is Edward Cullen, the man who stole my baby's heart. I can see why."

"Mom, please, can you just pretend to be normal?" Bella begged.

"Sure, honey, just as soon as I run a few tests on him. I want to make sure he's safe, you know."

"MOM!"

"Really, Love, it's fine," I said to Bella as Phil came jogging up with a big duffle bag.

"So, do you have somewhere private we can do this?" he asked and I got off him what he wanted to do to me and it freaked me out. What had I gotten myself into with these whackos?

"Dad!" I shouted hoping for some help.

"You asked for it," Bella smirked, the little rat. She really was going to leave me to her mother's mercy!

"Now come along, Edward, this will only take a few minutes," Renee said taking my arm.

"Dad!" I called in more of a panic, "Help?"

He stepped out on the porch smiling. "What is it, Son?"  
He knew damn well what it was; no one was probing me there!

"Oh, Carlisle, that's right, you wanted to observe. Come along, we're going to run the tests on Edward."

"Oh, wonderful! Would you like to use my exam room?" he asked her, the traitor!

"That would be perfect."

My father grabbed my arm, tugging me along because he knew Renee would not be able to pull me. "Come now, Son, it won't be that bad." Famous last words!

It was that bad. After failing the vocal test, she moved straight to probing, first my ears, and then my brainwaves. Of course, the brainwaves test was a series of short jolts of electricity. I didn't know what the hell they were supposed to accomplish but I was pretty sure she erased a couple of decades of memory. She was checking to see if I was telepathic. If she only knew. Ironically, it turned out I was not. Go figure.

I was passing all the tests with flying colors, or sparks as it were, until they pulled out one of the final probes. Yeah, you know the one I'm talking about. The one that 'checks my digestive system' as Renee put it. It looked like something molded from the underside of a donkey! I swallowed hard when she pulled out an industrial sized bottle of something called 'Slip and Slide' and slathered it all over the probe with a flourish. Suddenly, Jasper and Emmett were on either side of me, both of them taking an arm, grinning like they'd just won free tickets to the circus. I watched my so-called father slap his hand over his mouth to hide his damned giggling. I started struggling against my brothers; there was no way I was letting her or Phil anywhere near me with that anal probe…

**Bpov**

Edward came into my room walking as if he was saddle sore. His grimace told the whole story. My mother had probed him. I warned him but did he listen to me? NOOOO! What did I know; I was just a puny human after all and he was the big bad vampire that could take anything. Apparently, from the way he was walking, that point was debatable.

"So, did you pass the tests? Are we cleared to get married?" I asked, trying not to giggle at his predicament.

"Yes, I believe so. Apparently, I am an alien but an acceptable one. We can proceed as long as my home planet doesn't object," he said tightly. Tightly. I had to hold in my snickering at that thought.

"So, is your home planet going to object so they can keep Renee and her probes away from them?" I asked, suddenly worried that he had changed his mind. After what happened when he went to Italy, I didn't think I could survive if he left me.

"Well, we know the Volturi would never approve but we don't need to let her in on that little secret."

"What about you, do you approve? Do you still love me after meeting my mother?"

He frowned and before he could speak, I cut him off. "I warned you not to invite her but you were all 'sure, come on and visit, and bring your anal probe with you!'"

"Bella…" he said trying to stop my rant.

"I could have talked her out of the probes and the testing but you were so for it and your dad was all 'sure, come on, I would love to see your probe!'"

"Oh, he saw it all right," Edward growled, causing me to stop and gasp, "Along with Jasper and Emmett."

"Please tell me she didn't probe them, too." I didn't think I could be more humiliated.

"No, Bella, she didn't. Now will you let me finish what I was saying?" he said moving toward me slowly. He cupped my face and I leaned into his cool touch. "I love you, Bella, and not even your crazy mother will keep me from you. Of course, I would appreciate it if you would keep your mother away from me," he said with an uncomfortable grimace.

I threw my arms around him. "I promise, just the occasional holiday visit, no probing allowed!"

He nuzzled down into my neck, kissing it softly and I reveled in the peace it gave me. I knew that I loved him. I was still addicted to him, but even if I weren't, I would still want to be with him. I was sure of it.

The stress of the day caught up to me and so I took a quick nap in Edward's arms and when I woke, I wished that I could go back to sleep. Renee was walking around with what looked like a gas mask and some weird hat that covered her ears. Phil was wearing a similar get-up and both were talking animatedly about the need to test the rest of the family for vocal persuasion.

"It's truly amazing that her gadget picked that up. We do have a persuasive quality when we want to."

I rolled my eyes at him only to eat my words moments later as he leaned in and whispered, "Run away with me and never return." I felt very compelled to go pack and get the hell out of here but that may have been just because my mother was acting like a nut case.

She ran the vocal gadget on me as well and was surprised to find I had somehow picked up the quality from the Cullens. She took a swab of my mouth, against my will. I was in the middle of protesting when she just jabbed it in there as I was speaking and then stuck the swab into a little tube, and then proceeded to collect a sample from Edward's mouth as well. I was surprised he was still being cooperative after what she had done to him earlier. My poor boy was still not walking right and was sitting a little funny. My poor baby. I knew he was a vampire and all, but that apparently was still a very sensitive area for them. Besides, I had seen that probe and it was the thing nightmares were made of. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

My mother moved from trying to find their spaceship and determining what kind of alien Edward was to looking for advanced technologies. Of course, Alice thought it would be fun and showed her some of Emmett's realistic looking Star Wars gear, citing it was real. My mother totally bought it, until Phil pulled out matching gear. Apparently, he was a big Star Wars fan as well. Emmett found out and decided to monopolize his time discussing the movies or books or whatever the hell they were.

My mother started going crazy in the kitchen, sure she had found some sort of 'food materializer' when in fact it was just a food processor. "I swear, Mom, I have one at home, too. Dad gave it to me for Christmas last year."

"Are you sure it was your father? They may have manipulated your brainwaves so they could get you to eat their food."

"Mom, I can take you to the store now and show you where they sell them!"

"Oh, my stars! They've gone global!"

"No, Mom, they haven't! Unless Kitchen-Aid is run by aliens, this is just a normal kitchen appliance."

"I'll have to look into the people at Kitchen-Aid then. We can never be too careful you know," Renee warned.

"Yes, global domination is on everyone's agenda, Mother."

Edward snickered from behind me. "Watch it, probe boy. I know where she keeps her bag of tricks!" I threatened, and I didn't believe it was possible, but he blanched a shade paler.

That shut him up.

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	53. Chapter 53

**SM owns it, Dollybigmomma rocks it, I just write it. **

**Dollybigmomma really outdid herself working her magic on this chapter so give her some props. You know you love her!**

**Chapter 53 – I'm a Believer**

**Epov**

Just as Alice predicted, Charlie called on Thursday and would be coming the following week for the wedding. He was shocked to hear we had moved to Alaska. Renee, however, just assumed it was so we could collect particles from the aurora borealis. What we would be doing with them, I hadn't a clue.

Bella's mother was definitely an interesting guest, that was for sure. She had checked all our 'communications networks' and 'transporters'. Apparently, no shower truly needed that many nozzles so obviously they had to be transporters. At the rate she was going, I found myself wishing they really were so I could beam her back to Scotty where she belonged.

Bella was getting more stressed by the moment and I was too afraid to be caught alone with her mother, so I couldn't distract her. Actually, I was afraid to garner too much of her attention, terrified she would want to violate me a second time. Heaven only knew when she would feel the need to probe me for more 'data', and I couldn't take that again. I didn't think that area of my body would ever be the same after the first time.

Charlie arriving was a great relief. He had a tendency to call Renee insane and told her to back off and leave me alone. I couldn't have loved him more. She and Phil eyed him constantly, though, and I wondered if they were sizing him up for a probing thinking that maybe he fit their alien profile. I had no doubt that he could hold his own against them. For an angry father, Charlie was a wonderful defender and I could see why he would be Chief of Police. I could honestly say I truly loved that man.

**Bpov**

Edward was hiding from my mother again. He had taken to staying close to Charlie whenever he could. The poor boy had been traumatized. Even with all his hiding and all his reading up on fishing, he still had time to worry about what Alice was hiding from him.

I knew what it was. She told me that he would freak out and call off the wedding if he found out I was still addicted. He didn't want to risk forcing me to marry him against my will, but I knew he wasn't. I truly did love him.

What confused me was when he complained about it and told me that Alice said it was a surprise and would tell us after the wedding.

Us.

See, that was where I got a little lost. I already knew I was addicted to Edward still, so there was nothing to tell but maybe he would hound me if he knew that I knew.

Edward held me a little tighter this morning when I woke up. When I went to get up, he wouldn't let me go.

"What is it, honey?" I asked.

"Your mom," he whispered. Apparently, he was afraid she'd hear him and come in after him. Poor thing.

"What about my mom?"

"She's outside the door. She keeps hopping around in the hallway like she's just letting me know she's there, waiting for me," he said with wide frightened eyes.

I ran my fingers through his hair trying to calm him. "I'll get rid of her, okay?"

He nodded yes eagerly and let me slip from his arms.

"Be careful," he whisper-yelled to me and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I was going to strangle my mother.

I opened my bedroom door to find her hopping from leaf design to leaf design, much like I did at the last house when I jumped from flower to flower on the carpet and I wondered if she was bored and playing a game like I had at one time.

"Oh, honey, there you are! Give me a hand, I think it takes more than two feet to set it off, or maybe it's just weight sensitive and I don't weigh enough. Maybe I should get Phil."

"Mom, what are you doing?" I asked trying my best not to lose it.

"I'm looking for the lab."

"What lab? I thought Carlisle took you to his lab already?"

"Oh, honey, that's just the lab he shows humans. There was nothing truly suspect in there. His real lab has to be hidden somewhere and I've narrowed it down to this side of the house. I believe it's releasing vapor, warming this side of the house."

"Mom, it is called a heater. It's on and this side of the house is warmer because all the humans are staying in it."

Her eyes widened with excitement and watered slightly. "You believe!" She said it as if I had just told her I'd made straight A's.

I let out a huff and walked over to her. "Mom, I know what I'm getting into so please just stop," I said not admitting anything.

She hugged me tightly. "I knew all my research wouldn't go to waste. I knew it was my calling and now I know why. My baby is marrying an alien," she said and kissed my cheek and I decided to just let her be happy for now. She looked at me very seriously. "Are you sure you want to do this, honey? Do you really, truly love him?"

"Yes, Mom, like I never thought possible. I do love him, so please, just tone it down and stop scaring him. Pretty please?" I begged and she hugged me again excited.

"Of course, baby, but once they trust you enough to give you the lab codes, you've got to sneak me in!" she giggled like a little girl telling a secret.

"I promise, Mom, once I know where the secret lab is, I'll take you there," I kissed her cheek. "Now go find Phil and please ask him to refrain from any further experimentations. Oh, and he'd better stop following daddy around or he's liable to find that probe where he wouldn't want to."

She let out a huff. "Well, okay, honey, but I hope you'll make it up to us. I mean this is truly an amazing opportunity and to ask Phil and I, who are scientists by nature, to stop, well, it's just going to be difficult so please be patient with us."

"Just promise me no more probing," I asked.

She pouted a little. "Alright, but I really wanted to have a go at that Tanya character; she's so shifty. I don't trust her. If ever there was a man eater in the house, it would be her."

She didn't know how right she was. I gave her a thoughtful smile. "You know, Mom, you're right. I can't be too careful. Why don't you go give her a good probing just to be sure," I said holding back my smirk. "Actually, you better repeat the procedure a few times just to make sure. You can never be too careful you know."

"Thank you, baby, I just want you to be safe," my mother said and gave me one last hug.

"I know, Mom. Let me know if you find anything." I had to see if there were any security footage recordings anywhere so I wouldn't miss this.

I stepped back into my room to see Edward peeking out of the closet. "Is it all clear?" he asked eyeing the door behind me.

"Yes, honey, she's gone."

He smiled. "I heard what you said about Tanya."

I giggled. "Well, she is a man eater."

He frowned a little. "You really think she's a cannibal? She does give me hungry looks often," he said with a shiver and I chuckled.

My sweet innocent boy.

A/N Thank for reading please review.


	54. Chapter 54

**SM owns it, Dollybigmomma rocks it, I just write it.**

**I have finished up with the other two stories I was writing so now I can focus on abduction. Hooray!**

**Chapter 54 – A Question of Ownership**

**Epov**

The wedding was ready to begin and I stood at the front of the aisle waiting for my beloved Bella to join me. Alice's thoughts were literally screaming her excitement, and little Violet led the way as our flower girl. Alice had not let me see any of the wedding since last Wednesday when she realized I was peeking in on her visions and decided not to look at the wedding any further to prevent me from peeking at my bride. Needless to say, I was anxious but far more excited.

Of course, shortly after my bride started down the aisle, I wished that Alice had peeked ahead and seen the events that were unfolding.

I was enamored with my beloved dressed in white on the arm of her father, so enamored that I did not hear the murderous thoughts of Tanya coming from behind.

I knew she'd had a falling out with her sisters over my wedding earlier this week but I never thought her to be mad enough to go against my family in such a way. It was only her scream of "He's mine!" that drew my eyes from my beloved, and not caring for stealth, I flashed down the aisle and whipped up my love in my arms, turning my back to Tanya to protect my Bella from the knife-wielding maniac that was attacking her.

She slammed the knife into my back, breaking the blade and cutting her own hand. She and her sisters were not naive to my family's nature. They may not have known exactly what we were but they knew that blood was part of our diet, as they helped care for the children.

Jasper was quick to his feet and growling as Emmett held him back. Carmen grabbed her sister from where Charlie had restrained her and nodded for us to go on with the wedding without her as she and Kate dragged Tanya away kicking and screaming.

**Bpov**

Insanity, that was what it was. The days leading up to my wedding could not have been crazier. Karma was a bitch and it was coming back at me for encouraging my mother to probe Tanya, twice. Tanya, the sick bitch she was, offered to probed both my mother and Phil in return. She was sick and insane!

Of course, once she found out that Renee was my mother and here for my wedding, she was livid and no longer cooperative with the probing. Luckily, Renee had done all she felt she needed to. Tanya, on the other hand, came after me, shouting that Edward was hers, that he was given to her by Carlisle. I held up my hand and pointed to my ring. "This ring that Edward gave to me proves that he's mine."

A cat fight was about to ensue when Carmen, Kate and Alice all stepped in. Alice restrained Tanya and I sighed, a little disappointed I would not get to kick her ass.

"Tanya, dear, Edward is happy with Bella, and isn't that all we want for him, his happiness?" Alice asked her.

Tanya whined and stomped her foot. "But he's mine! I was to bear his children!"

"Never as his wife!" Carmen snapped. I had learned she was the oldest of the sisters and Tanya was next in age, Irina being next after Tanya, and Kate being the youngest.

Kate let out a sigh. "We have a good life here with the Cullens, they love us like family, we carry their children, and they let us stay in their lives as nannies, we could not ask for a better surrogate arrangement."

"We do truly see you as family, as dear sisters," Alice added.

"But he was not already wed like the others!"

"But it was never his intention to marry YOU!" Carmen snapped. "We're not so naive to not know they're different and would want to marry their own kind."

"But she's not one of them!" Tanya screamed.

"But she will be," Alice said cryptically. "And Edward does truly cherish her. I'm sure everyone can see it."

"It's true," Kate added. "He doesn't hide from her the way he hides from you, Tanya. He seeks her out and smiles when she enters a room. He's a good man and our brother, don't you want to see him happy? Can't you see the change in him?"

"No! No! NO! It's not true; you're all liars! How can you all turn against me!"

"We're not turning against you, Tanya. We're just tired of seeing poor Edward only smile when he's in the company of children, never having his own."

"I was going to give him children! I can!"

"He doesn't want them with you! He's a lonely soul without Bella and he's found joy with her. You will not stop their union, but honor it!" Carmen snapped.

My eyes watered at the love and support I was receiving. I suddenly felt guilty for wanting to rip their sister apart.

"Tanya, I do truly love him. We're happy together. Can't you be happy for us?" I asked hoping her sisters were able to get through to her.

"No!" Tanya cried. "He's mine! He was supposed to be mine!"

Alice carried her out of the room and I slumped down into a chair.

"I'm sorry for my sister's behavior," Carmen said.

"I can't fault her for falling in love with Edward. I've done the same. He's a magnificent creature," I said smiling and the girls chuckled.

"That he is," they agreed.

I didn't hear from Tanya for the next several days and assumed they had things settled with her but I was wrong. Whatever they had done to keep her away from me did not work on my wedding day as my Edward had to swoop me up in his arms, saving me from her attack. He was a glorious angel, whisking me off my feet, causing my heart to stutter.

It all happened so fast that it was over before I could really register what was going on. Charlie asked if I was alright, slightly panicked as Edward still clutched me to his chest.

"I'm fine," I said forcing Edward to put me down. "Now get back up there. I'm getting married!" I snapped at him, causing him to smile. He kissed me gently, causing Charlie to clear his throat and say, "That part comes after."

I smiled and took Charlie's arm again. Edward made his way back up to the altar, not taking his eyes off me and walking backwards. One would think it an odd wedding procession with the groom walking backwards, as if coaxing his bride to follow, but there was no coaxing needed on my part.

My father placed my hand in Edward's cool one and kissed my cheek. Our vows were exchanged and we finally shared our first kiss as husband and wife.

Everyone cheered and Edward hugged me tightly to his body, his face absolutely beaming with joy.

"You're so beautiful," I whispered and he snickered.

"No, my love, you're the one that's beautiful."

"Oh, you're both beautiful!" Alice cheered hugging us both, kissing our cheeks. "Here's your gift and the secret I've been keeping," Alice sang and danced away after handing Edward an envelope. He looked at it oddly and I went to take it from him but Alice gave him a pointed glance and he nodded, putting it in his pocket. "Tomorrow night is when we're to open it."

"Oh," I pouted. I wondered what it was. It would not make sense to continue to wait to tell him of my addiction, nor would she sing about it so excitedly. I was beginning to think she was actually hiding something from me, too.

The rest of the reception was a whirlwind of excitement and I was exhausted as we readied to go. My mother wanted a copy of the video so she could figure out how Edward was able to get to me so quickly. I just rolled my eyes. "He's different, Mother, but he loves me; can't you just accept it?"

She sighed and hugged me. "For you, I guess I can let it go," she finally said to my great relief.

I was heading to the front to hop in the car when Alice shouted, "Throw the bouquet!"

I could not believe I had forgotten such a basic tradition. We had been so careful to observe them all, even going so far as to smear cake across each other's faces. I think Edward enjoyed this a bit too much and I did my best to retaliate by putting the cake directly into his mouth, making him grimace. Yes, revenge was sweet cream cheese frosting.

As we started to the front door, the women started to gather around and suddenly Tanya came out of nowhere. "He's mine!" she shouted.

But I was not bothered by her. "No, he's mine," I said confidently, tossing my bouquet and smacking her square in the face with it.

Everyone burst out laughing as Edward swooped me out the door away from the evil Tanya. Apparently, he was eager for our wedding night and I had to admit, so was I.

We caught our plane and I promptly fell asleep. I was surprised when I woke in a boat. I looked up smiling at Edward, who was still holding me in his arms. "You didn't wake me."

He shrugged. "I wanted you to be rested," he smirked.

I leaned up kissing his lips softly. "I am."

The little villa we were staying in on the quiet island was perfect. I could tell Edward was nervous but I did my best to calm his nerves. "Would you like a drink?" I asked offering my wrist while holding a knife. He growled and I giggled.

"That's not funny, Isabella."

I put down the knife. "Well, my husband, how am I to seduce you into my bed?" I asked.

He had me in his arms and on my back before I could blink. One second I was in the kitchen the next I was in the bedroom with him hovering over me. "No seduction needed, my love. I think you'll find I'm very willing to comply."

I felt a warm blush creep across my body as he kissed my neck. This was much different from our first time. This was slow, sweet, and patient. He was careful, gentle, and feather light in all his touches. My body was on fire with need, even though his touch was like ice. It only seemed to magnify all my senses. I loved making love to my husband through sober eyes. He was magnificent and sweet. He was everything I could ever want and hope for in a man.

The morning light woke me, warming my skin, and his cool lips sent chills down my bare back as he kissed me. I was his wife now and he was happily taking liberties with all that entailed. We spent the next few days in bed making love, only breaking occasionally when I needed to deal with human needs or eat. It was only the day before we were scheduled to return that I found the envelope again.

I was packing up, getting us ready to leave even though Edward promised to do it as I slept, but I didn't want him to leave my bed. He could not argue with that and let me do as I pleased, packing up our things. I felt the envelope in his coat pocket and pulled it out with a gasp.

"How could we forget?" he chuckled taking it from my hand before I could protest. Damn vampire speed.

He was laughing at my pout as he opened the envelope, only to freeze as he read the words.

"Edward, what is it?" I was starting to get worried now.

He didn't move. I would have thought he had fainted if not for being upright. I hurried over, wedging myself between him and the card to see the writing.

'Congratulation, your pregnant!' was all that was written on the card. I was suddenly very worried that Edward would be upset by this. Maybe he didn't want children. He'd had every opportunity to have them before he had met me and never took them.

I had not realized I was panicking or crying until I felt his cool arms around me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't know you didn't want to have children or we could have taken precautions."

He pulled my chin up to look him in the eye. "Do you not want to have children with me?" he asked looking truly worried.

I frowned. "I do, I really do," I answered.

He smiled at me. "I want to have children with you as well, silly girl. This news is good news." He leaned down and kissed me gently.

He laid me on the bed and leaned over my tummy, kissing it softly. "Hello, little one, I can't wait to meet you."

A/N so some of you guessed what Alice's secret was, yup you were right! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading please review.


	55. Chapter 55

**SM owns it, Dollybigmomma rocks it, I just write it.**

**Chapter 55 – Scrambling**

**Epov**

Just as Bella finished packing, I received a frantic call from Alice. "They're coming! You have to get Mittens from Mrs. Mallow's pet sitters. Take her to Volterra to see the kittens and be shocked when they find out we're alive. We'll pin it on the blonde vamp running wild. Now go, and leave Bella behind; she'll be fine."

The line went dead before I could say anything else. Bella looked at me questioningly. "Well, who was that?"

"Alice. I need to go pick up Mittens. She's fine," I reassured her before she could ask. "I'm going to get her and you're going to stay here and relax. I'll be back to get you and I'll bring little Mittens with me."

She could tell I was keeping something from her and rolled her eyes at me. "You know what happened last time you left. I went nuts."

"But we're married now. You know I'll always come back for you."

"Edward, that wasn't the problem. I'm addicted to you still. It doesn't affect me the same but it does still cause me to freak out after you're gone for awhile."

**Bpov**

He looked at me worried for a moment. I could tell he didn't want to leave but for some reason he really needed to go. "Come here," I said coaxing him to the bed, "Just one more time before you go. Maybe that'll hold me over."

He quickly complied, kissing me as he undressed me again. He held me when we were done, kissing me as I started to doze off. I hoped that he would make it back before I woke.

Of course, he didn't but I was surprised to find myself okay with him being gone. I got up and ate and wondered what the hell was wrong with me before because I felt fine now.

He had been gone two days when I heard the banging on the door. "Coming," I called trying to ignore the bad feeling that was coming on. I hoped that I wasn't on the verge of freaking out again. This place was nice. I would feel bad if I burned it down. Who would have thought I was a closet pyro?

I opened the door and held back my gasp. There stood a tall blonde vampire and he definitely was not Carlisle. He was grinning at me like he was hungry, his red eyes sparkling. I really wished right now that they couldn't come in unless they were invited. Damn Hollywood for getting my hopes up!

"Good morning," I said trying to sound happy and cheerful and completely oblivious to what he was, because I knew if he knew I knew what he was that he would kill me instantly.

"I'm looking for Edward."

"Edward? I'm not sure I know who you're talking about. Do you have a picture? This is a tourist trap you know, we get all kinds here."

"He was here; I can smell him all over you and this place."

I lifted my shirt sniffing, giving myself a moment to come up with something. "Mmm, that does smell good, so the guy that's supposed to be renting this place is Edward? He took off a couple of days ago and I slipped in. See, there was a few days left on his rental and my friend tipped me off to it. Of course, there's no maid service unless requested by him so I'm stuck using his sheets. I didn't mind though. He smells pretty good."

The man growled at me.

"Hey, man, I don't know where he is but maybe management would know more or something? What did he do?" I asked.

"He killed my mate!"

"Your friend?" I asked wide-eyed.

"NO! MY WIFE!"

"Oh, my god!" I gasped in false shock but my panic and nervousness made it real. "I'm so, so sorry. Maybe I can help you look for clues, he had to leave something behind, right? I can't believe I'm staying on a killers buck," I said heading to my room that only held my backpack now. I guess Edward really didn't plan on being gone long because he'd shipped the rest of our stuff home.

I crawled under the bed and pulled out our flight ticket stub for Edward. I jumped up waving it. "Look, I found something!" Psycho flew to my side and didn't even notice that I didn't flinch. I just played it off like I didn't notice. "His last name is Cullen, he's from Alaska! Does that help?" I asked.

He let out a growl and shook his head. "Damn it!" I pouted. Red-eyes watched me pout for a moment, not sure what to make of me. "We'll get him. I'm not letting this go, you know there may be a reward for his capture or something," I said. "I can go talk to my friend who let me know this place was empty. They might know something," I said determined and headed out the door. I was surprised he let me go, but then again I also knew he could find me in seconds as well.

I went to the front counter in the country club, curious to see if Edward left a note to say where he was going. "I'm looking for a friend of mine, Edward Cullen."

"Ah, yes, he said you would be staying while he conducted some business in Italy."

"Really?" I said surprised just encase red-eyed psycho dude was listening. "Thanks," I said and ran out before the front desk guy could say anything else to blow my cover. I had the perfect idea to play this up. I burst into our little villa and shouted, "Oh, my god, he's going to kill me, too!"

Red-eyes looked up at me surprised. "What?"

"He knew! He knew I was sneaking around and then told the front desk I could stay while he was away! Oh, my god! He was going to kill me just like your wife! He's a psycho, a serial killer! You've got to help me!"

Red-eyes pouted at me not happy.

"I know where he went. He went to Italy! That's what the guy said, that he was away on business in Italy! Do you think he's killing someone there, too?"

I sat down on the bed, picking up my backpack and started going through my stuff. "I have to get out of here if he's coming after me." That made him look up.

"You're going with me!"

I let out a little pant. "You'll save me?" I squeaked and did something life threatening. I threw my arms around him and hugged a killer vamp. "Thank you!"

He pulled me off of him and set me on the bed. "You stay here," he said and walked out. I didn't know what the hell he was doing but I quickly dug into the bottom of my bag, strapping my lighters in place and ran for the speed boat. I was headed for the mainland to hopefully catch a plane back to Alaska where I could warn them of the blonde crazy vamp.

I wasn't too far out when I felt a jolt and saw a hand grab the boat. I quickly turned it off and surprised the guy when I grabbed his shoulder and started pulling him up. "Are you okay? I thought you'd left without me. Shit, man, you should be an Olympic swimmer. Get up here," I said and handed him a blanket. I now realized he was soaking wet and no longer flammable. I was so screwed!

**Epov**

I picked up Mittens and she was happy to see me. We made it to Volterra in record time and I put on my happy face. I was still welcomed with open arms so I knew they had not found my family yet. Caius didn't scowl and Athenadora was smiling widely and I was so bold as to walk up and hug her, kissing her cheek. "Uncle Caius," I greet nodding at him and he raised an eyebrow at me and tipped his head in my direction. That was pretty friendly for Caius. Athenadora actually squeezed me to her, suppressing a squeal. Caius would rather not play house but would do anything to humor his wife, as this was the happiest he had seen her in a century.

"How is Precious? Did she have the kittens yet?" I ask anxiously and I did kind of want to see them. I mean, Mittens was really small when I first met her so it would be hard to believe she could have been smaller.

"Yes, just three days ago! Come along, you really must see," Athenadora said pulling me from the great hall.

She opened a door and I would swear it was what cat heaven looked like, I was sure of it. Precious had an ornamental drinking fountain that had angels and a waterfall. Her food was on a crystal platter and there were soft fluffy pillows, beds, and toys everywhere.

"Don't get any ideas, Mittens, you know I can't afford this stuff," I whispered to Mittens, causing Athenadora to laugh.

"You know you're always welcome to stay, Edward," she said warmly.

I covered Mittens ears. "Don't give her any ideas. You might regret it," I teased causing her to giggle as she led me over to a fluffy nest looking thing. I gasped as I saw the tiny creatures all curled up.

"Aren't they adorable?" Athenadora asked.

"They're perfect! Look at how tiny they are. Can I hold one?" I asked and she nodded yes.

I leaned down talking softly to Precious. She thankfully seemed to remember me and let me pet her tiny kittens. I picked one up and it curled into a tiny ball, not even filling my palm. I stroked its little head and scratched behind his ear. Mittens decided to make herself known by swatting at my face. "Okay, okay, I know you're here. You're still my number one girl," I cooed to Mittens as I put down the kitten and nuzzled my kitty. Athenadora was thinking we were sweet.

I also was listening in to Caius as he was getting the news that a coven claiming to be the Cullens was alive in Alaska.

His thoughts were calculating. He wanted me to stay but knew that word would get back to me sooner or later. He hoped that my alternate lifestyle would keep me away from my family.

I smiled as I watched Athenadora pet Precious and kissed her little head. "She really loves you," I whispered and she smiled. "You're both wonderful mothers."

There was a knock on the door and she called for them to come in. A girl who looked longingly at the kittens told us we were needed in the throne room. She really wanted to hold a kitten but hadn't had a chance yet.

I offered my arm to Athenadora and we walked back into the room with her cooing to Mittens. "What is it, my dear?"

"We have news; there's a coven in the northern America's that claims to be the Cullen's."

I gasped and looked up at Athenadora. "Do you think it could be them? I mean who would lie like that? Do you think they made it out?" I asked Caius this time.

"We don't know. We only have two men out there and that's what they reported."

I breathed a little heavy like I was getting excited. "If it was them, then why didn't they answer? Why didn't they call me? They always call me. Do you think they don't love me anymore?" I asked Athenadora weakly and she hugged me.

"I'm sure that's not the case, my dear. Why don't we go and check it out?"

"What if it's a trap? I don't want anything to happen to you!" I exclaimed. "Then I won't a have any family! That killer is still out there!"

"Shush, dear, it's alright," she comforted me, hugging me to her. "Nothing is going to happen to us. Isn't that right?" she asked her husband.

I could see he was mentally rolling his eyes but spoke softly. "No, nothing is going to happen to us. We'll travel with the full guard this time. He won't get away again."

A/N thanks for reading please review!


	56. Chapter 56

**SM owns it, Dollybigmomma rocks it, I just write it.**

**Chapter 56 - Up a creek without a paddle**

**Bpov**

I was so screwed. I had to find a way to pull this off.

The vamp dude wiped off his face and I sat back in the driver's seat of the boat and headed for the mainland. He was less likely to kill me in public. At least I was hoping so.

"I told you to stay there," he growled.

"Are you kidding me? You told me to stay and wait all alone for a killer to come back. No way! It's one thing to wait with you but completely another if you think I'm just going to wait around for Psycho Edmond to kill me. He even sounds like a loser."

"You're to stay with me!" he snapped.

I looked at him glaring as best I could. "Fine, but you have to stay with me, too!" I shot back confusing him even further. "You can't just leave me hanging out there to die. If you want my help, you've got to have my back and I'll have yours," I nodded at him and turned back to steering the boat. We were just arriving at the mainland. "So, do you have a place here or do I need to find one?" I asked looking back at him. He didn't answer. "I guess I'll find somewhere so you don't freeze your ass off," I said shaking my head.

I dug out my cell phone and got ready to text Alice to ask what the hell to do when I receive one with an address. I nodded at psycho and told him to follow me and went to the address. It was a rundown motel room with two beds. "My contact says this is open for the night." I walked into the bathroom. There was a blow dryer on the wall. "You should try drying off," I said turning it on and blowing it towards him. He flinched back but I waved him over to it as I kicked off my shoes, letting him know I was staying here. He took it and I flopped on the bed. "So, what's the plan?" I yelled over the blow dryer.

I could hear him saying something but couldn't make it out. I went to the bathroom and held back my smirk, as he had totally fluffed, dried, and feathered his golden locks. "I didn't hear you, so what's the plan? We're going to catch him, right?"

He eyed me momentarily looking suspicious. "Don't my eyes bother you?" he asked.

I took a good look at him and shrugged. "I spent a lot of time down and Louisiana, I've seen some pretty crazy voodoo shit, your red eyes are nothing. So what's the plan?" I asked again.

He kind of smirked at me and then said, "We go to Italy."

"We're going after him? Just like Dog the Bounty Hunter! We'll track him down and bring him to justice!" I said giving him a little fist pump. "This is so awesome, but how are we getting to Italy?"

He rubbed his face.

I put my hand up. "Leave it to me," I said putting on my shoes. I start singing, "Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?"

Again, I was amazed he just let me throw on my shoes and walk out. I knew he could find me easily but you would think he would want to keep closer tabs on me. Once I was a block away, I got another text with another address. This one was a western union. I walked up and told them who I was and once I showed them my ID, I was suddenly twenty thousand dollars richer.

I needed to come up with a story for this money but my phone chimed telling me to look in a dumpster behind the building. I was not happy about this but was surprised to find seventeen different wallets. Looked like whoever this pickpocket was, he was at least predictable. I opened them and saw the faces of several wealthy looking white guys. Nice, just what I needed. I stuffed them into my backpack and quickly made my way back to the motel room, acting like I was trying to be stealthy.

I started giggling hysterically, not fully able to control it. "You so owe me!" I shouted at him and whipped out the cash. I dumped out the wallets and his face scrunched up. "You better not say anything about the smell, dude, I had to hide in a dumpster but now we got it. We have the money to track the serial killer down. We're going to be heroes!" I shouted at him jumping on the bed a little and he eyed me warily.

"I'm taking a shower, you lose the wallets," I told him and shut the door before he could say anything in response.

I stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed in my pajamas. They were the only clothes I had with me but it wasn't a big deal before since I was just lounging around the villa. Damn it. He eyed me in the tank top and boxers I was wearing. I knew they still smelled like Edward and that was why I put them on. "I'm going to wash my clothes; you want me to do yours, too?" I asked and turned the tub on.

I was surprised when he handed me his t-shirt but not his pants. He smirked. "I'm commando."

"Oh, good to know," I said trying to hide the skin crawling feeling I was having.

I continued to sing 'Bad Boy's' as I washed the clothes and rung them out. I had them hanging in the bathroom and danced out to the bedroom.

"Can you keep it down?" he growled pretending to sleep.

"Sure!" I said and started humming it quietly. I knew I shouldn't torment the psycho vampire but for some reason I just couldn't help it. After another ten minutes of my continuous humming, he let out a growl.

I turned and looked at him. "Whoa, dude, your stomach is loud. Why don't I go out and get us some food?"

He eyed me for a minute but didn't stop me when I put on my shoes and grabbed some cash. "There's a Chinese place next door. Anything you want?"

"Surprise me," he said. I think he was just eager to get rid of me.

I got two of my favorites with every intention of eating both. When I returned he was still lying on the bed. "Got your food!" I shouted as if trying to wake him up. I walked over and grabbed his foot, shaking it to wake him up. "Come on, you need to eat it before it gets cold, Chinese is just nasty cold."

He sat up glaring at me.

"I got you sweet and sour chicken," I said pushing a container aside.

He curled his lips up at it.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I knew you should have told me what to get! I'm horrible at guessing what people like to eat."

He smirked a little to himself, probably thinking I would never guess what he would like, but he didn't know how wrong he was. I knew exactly what he wanted but I was not on the menu.

"Look, you're still kind of dressed, why don't you take some cash and go get something you like," I said and proceeded to shovel food into my mouth, ignoring him. I thought he wasn't going to leave so I started humming as I ate and he got up and slammed the door on his way out. I grinned to myself. I think he showed a lot of restraint because it was still on its hinges.

I finish eating and tried not to think of what he was having for dinner. I realized he hadn't killed me yet for a reason and tried to settle myself down but it wasn't working. I decided to get some of my adrenaline out by jumping on the bed and decided to sing to keep the psycho away while I did it.

"Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when I come for you!" I decided to change it up because it was starting to drive me a little crazy as well. "Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when I come get you. Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when I come get you. In the balls, in the balls, that's what I'm gonna do. I gonna kick you when I come for you." I continued to jump and I worried that I was a little high but took advantage of it. "Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when Bella comes for you. Beat you, beat you, that's what I'm gonna do, that's what I'm gonna do when I come for you."

I didn't know how many different versions I had gone over but I was definitely thinking I had some awesome talent by the time the vamp came back. He didn't look happy. "Hey, dude, what's your name and I can put you in the song, too!" I said still jumping.

"James, but you're not putting me in the song," he said growling. "It's time for bed, sleep already!" he shouted at me.

I pouted. "Fine, party pooper." I lay down on the bed and pulled the covers over myself, trying to keep in mind that if he was going to kill me, he would have already done it. I had worn myself out and it didn't take long for me to fall asleep. I just hoped I got out of this alive.

The next morning, I woke up and stretched, yawning and doing my best not to be to creeped out by James, who was sitting there staring at me.

"You snore," he said.

"Sorry, did I keep you up?" I asked.

"No, let's go. I found a flight to Italy leaving in two hours."

I was ready for Alice to step in and end this. I couldn't light him up before because I didn't have my lighters, then I had them but he was wet. Now he was dry but in a motel full of people so I couldn't burn that down without risking killing others. Couldn't he just wander into a deserted field so I could light him up already? I figured Edward was going to be pissed if I actually ended up going to Italy. I grabbed my bag, trusting Alice was keeping an eye on me and hopefully going to tell me to slip off on a random flight home.

I dressed in the bathroom, re-securing my lighters, trying to think of where to stash them if I was going to actually get through security with them. I checked my cell phone again hoping to get my next set of instructions but I got nothing. I hoped she was okay and I hoped I would be, too.

Well, we got to the airstrip without me finding a good place to light him up. It didn't look like they had any security so I thought I would ask him about it.

"Do you have a gun?" I whispered.

"No," he said. I knew why he didn't. "Do we need to get one before we go?" I glanced around at a couple of shady looking guys. "Do you think we can get one through security here?"

"We don't need a gun."

"You're not going to let that asshole get away are you? He's a killer, we need a damn gun," I hissed at him. "Now, are you going to help me get one and get it through security or what?"

"This is my hunt, not yours."

"Fine, don't share the bounty but I want to be sure that psycho doesn't come back looking for me. I don't need to be hunted down while you're twiddling your thumbs and he's out on bail," I hissed at him again.

He just looked at me annoyed. "Go check the security and I'm going to see if I can get a gun," I whispered and nodded to a creepy looking guy. Surprisingly enough, he did not scare me at all. I was running with a vampire who wanted me alive for some reason so I assumed he would keep me sort of safe. I hoped.

I walked in the direction of the creepy guys and they got creepier when they smiled. I swear I must have a death wish or something because this was ridiculous.

"You speak English?" I asked.

Two of the guys looked to the third one. "Si, I silent." Obviously, not very well.

"I'm looking for a gun," I whispered.

"Si, we fun," he said, his buddies laughing with him.

"No, a gun," I held up my hand making a gun shape.

"Oh, gun." He shoved another guy, "No towel, gun."

I was not sure what the hell that was supposed to mean but I was guessing it was a negative. "Do you know where I can get one?"

"They have rooms with cows pretty," he said smiling. Yeah, I didn't think he understood what I asked him.

"Thanks anyway," I said and started turning back to the airstrip, wondering where James was when one of the guys grabbed my arm.

"Go stay," the pretend English speaker said.

I rolled my eyes. "I have a flight to catch and James will gladly kick your ass if you don't let me go," I said glaring at them. I knew they didn't know what my words meant but hopefully they would know my look.

"Tango, cows pretty," he said dancing a little and I realized that someone must have taught him to call women cows and I burst out laughing.

He looked confused and his friends started laughing at him because I was laughing at him.

"Cows," I said and they all looked at me. "Moo! Cows!" I said laughing again.

They looked at me even more confused. I put my hands on my head like horns. "MOO! Cow, Toro." I remembered the name for a bull and tried to explain through my laughing. His buddies got it and started laughing at him even more.

James found me and grabbed my arm, pulling me upright from my buckled laughing stance. "Making friends with the locals?" he asked.

"They have no towels and no guns. I'm not sure but I'm a pretty cow," I said laughing. He looked at me confused.

"Right. There's no security but if you have no guns, I guess it doesn't really matter now does it?"

I shook my head no but was glad we would be able to get through. They checked my bag and eyed me up and down but the lighters were small enough to easily conceal under my clothes without question.

We sat on the plane, and in the silence I could feel myself slipping. It was more obvious and I did my best to fight it but I didn't know how much longer I could last without Edward. I knew I was slowly going nuts.

**Epov**

I eyed the guard nervously. Most were newborns with little restraint and I worried about them being near the women and children at our estate. I was glad Bella would be far from this mess. I was still trying to think of a way to keep them from coming.

We went to check on the kittens and I looked over at Precious from where I was cuddling Mittens. "Who will take care of them? They're too young to travel."

She looked at them and frowned, knowing I was right. They were much too young to travel. Athenadora walked up and hugged me. "I know this is a difficult thing you must do but I would like to go with you to help."

"I don't want you to get hurt. They would have called me. They haven't, so I don't think it's them," I said pouting.

She brushed the hair back from my worried eyes. "Edward, it's going to be okay, you'll see."

I let out a huff and nodded okay.

To my surprise, Athenadora led the guard, leaving behind Caius and I was starting to wonder if he was agoraphobic. He looked so sad when his wife walked out the door but apparently, someone needed to hold the fort down and take care of the kittens. I kind of wanted to see that and maybe video it as well. I just couldn't picture Caius petting and cooing to Precious and her babies.

A/N Thanks for reading please review.


	57. Chapter 57

**SM owns it, Dollybigmomma rocks it, I just write it.**

**Chapter 57- Buffy Gone Wild **

**Bpov**

Italy was nothing like I thought it would be. Okay, it was, but the vampire haven sure didn't seem like it and now that we were standing in front of a man petting a cat, I just couldn't find it in me not to smile. I was pretty sure I'd lost it somewhere on the plane.

I had started telling James about how he looked a lot like Dog the Bounty Hunter and how he should go into the business after this. I then proceeded to sing 'Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when James comes for you. Beat you down, beat you down, that's what he's gonna do, that's what he's gonna do when he comes for you.' I had more to the song but I promptly felt a cold hand over my mouth stopping my serenade. Everyone was a critic.

"Bella, you're disturbing the other passengers that are trying to sleep with your dancing and singing," he growled at me.

I hadn't even realized I had started dancing but that was the first clue that I was losing it. That and the fact that I couldn't control the eye roll I gave James and when he removed his hand I snapped at him. "See if I write you a theme song!"

"Just be quiet, must you constantly make noise? I swear to god I will make a gag if you don't just shut up!" he yelled.

The lady pushing the food cart frowned at him. "Sir, can you keep it down? People are trying to sleep," she said very seriously.

I turned and looked at him and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, shut up," I said and I may have stuck my tongue out at him.

He got up and stormed to the back of the plane after that. I didn't know where he was or what he was doing but I decided it was safe enough to nap since we were surrounded by people. Of course, I was very wrong because when we landed they found a passenger in the bathroom unconscious. James was nowhere to be found but I had a feeling he was involved. I guess they were a Chatty Kathy, too.

I had made my way out of the airport, getting ready to catch a cab to the nearest hotel when a blue BMW sped up next to me. The door flew open and James yelled at me to get in.

"You could have told me you were getting a rental car," I said.

The keys hanging from the steering wheel had a picture of the knocked out guy with his family hanging on it. I pretended not to notice and looked out the window and wondered if I would be able to get out of the car and away from him fast enough if I started him on fire now.

I looked at the other cars on the road and then the speed he was driving. Not likely without killing myself or someone else when the car crashed. Damn it! Alice could step in anytime now.

**Caius' POV**

I hated seeing my beloved go but she was insistent that Edward needed her. If they were frauds, I hoped that the guard was enough to let her escape. I had told her that she should run if anything happened. The only reason I was staying was because I had a few guards out looking for the blonde vampire. They were not trackers and often would report to me what they would find, asking permission to continue their search. It was tedious at best and I wished I could find a new tracker to find the murderer.

I missed my wife and so I went to the room she spent most of her time in so I could smell her all around me. As I sat there in the cat room, I felt something warm jump into my lap and looked down to see her pet, Precious, looking up at me and rubbing against me, making a purring noise. I couldn't resist just one little snuggle.

**James' POV**

This girl was maddening. I could not wait to kill her. I just needed to find Edward and do it in front of him. I was pretty sure that she was connected with him somehow. She still smelled of him days later and I suspected she was either lying to me or very, very stupid. I wouldn't put it past her to just be very stupid. She seemed completely oblivious to everything around her.

I had her by the arm and was yanking her down the path to the entrance of the vampire headquarters. My senses were telling me there were only three people in the castle and I wondered if the brothers were all alone. This could be perfect. I could kill all three and take over as king of the vampires!

I widened my senses a little, checking for Edward. He was supposed to be in Italy and again I only found residuals. He had been here, damn it! I wondered if he was returning to the island to check on this crazy bitch I had been dragging around with me. For being insane and stupid, she was a little too resourceful. Her ability to instantly find rooms and money was a bit to curious for me. I was just waiting for Edward to show. I had a feeling he was watching her. Someone was and I knew if it wasn't Edward, it was someone close to him looking after this loon. I would get them and torture them as well as he watched. I just had to find the slippery bastard first.

I was surprised when I was able to get into the castle so easily and went straight to the throne room hoping to find the brothers, only to be disappointed. Only one sat on the throne and he was holding some fury thing on his lap.

It seemed they had all gone insane.

**Caius' POV**

The killer walked into my room dragging a girl with him. He glared at me and shoved the girl to the floor at my feet. "Where is Edward Cullen?" he hissed. I knew the girl would not understand him. I was not pleased the killer had gone after my family and the Cullen's and apparently was looking for the remaining Cullen.

I was grateful he was here and not with my beloved. I just hoped the group of frauds they found would not be a challenge for the guard I sent to protect her.

"He's not here. You, however, are charged with treason and murder."

The two remaining guards came into the room at the sound of my voice. He looked up at me and sneered and the girl who had somehow made her way on the floor over to me had her head lying on my leg and was petting Precious. When I looked at her face, I could see her pupils were dilated; she had been given a heavy dose of enzyme. It was not uncommon for vampires to do such so their cattle would seek them out. It was much like branding in our world. I wondered why Edward had taken an interest in this one.

"You will not be able to kill me. I know you three are all that are here," the killer said taking an attack stance.

I passed the cat to the girl who seemed truly enamored with Precious. I hoped the cat would keep her distracted enough so the three of us could dispose of this killer.

I walked forward. "You've been given your death sentence. It's time for it to be carried out."

"I'll kill you and Edward, too!" he shouted at me and took out the newborn guard. He had been too distracted by the girl's presence to fight him off. My other guard worked fast but not fast enough and I tried to give her a hand but it had been many centuries since I'd had to do battle. He was about to wrench my arm from my body when I heard him scream and jump back.

"Bad boy, bad boy, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when I burn up you," the girl sang and danced as the murderer jumped back trying to put himself out to no avail. When he fell to the floor, she walked back over to Precious and picked her up. "Don't tell anyone, kitty, but he was a baaaad man. I know he wanted to kill Edward and no one should kill him," she whispered to Precious.

I looked at my one remaining guard and told her to move the newborn's body out so it could heal. I approached the girl carefully and her eyes snapped to mine. "He was bad," she said cuddling the cat.

I nodded. "Yes, he was. You were a great help to me."

She smiled up at me. "I like your cat."

"She is my wife's pet."

"She's precious. What's her name?"

"Precious."

"Yes, she is; what's her name?"

"Precious," I said again trying to be patient. She was still obviously affected with the enzyme.

"What a precious kitty, do you know her name?"

"My wife named her Precious."

"Oh, that's very fitting," she said and cuddled the cat. "Do you want to hear a secret?" she whispered in the cat's ear. "I'm going to have a baby just like you did, but it's a secret so don't tell anyone."

I now knew why Edward had branded her. She was an active breeder; of course he would want her in his herd. I would return her to him and check on my wife.

"Come, little one; let me show you the kittens she had."

"Oh, I love kittens!" she squealed as I led her down the hall to the cat's room. She was immediately taken with them and very gentle at the same time. She was odd for a killer and I thought it was too bad she was with child or she would have made a lovely vampire.

My guard came to me and I told her to stay and care for the cats and let the others know they could return, that the threat had been taken care of. I was going to my wife and return this girl to Edward's care. She nodded in agreement, no questions asked, and I coaxed the girl to come with me and leave the cats behind.

**Epov**

We started to approach the estate and I looked over at Athenadora nervously. She was a sweet woman and I would hate to betray her. She held on to my arm with a reassuring smile, thinking we would be safe if we stuck together.

I hoped I could convince her not to kill my family.

"It smells like them," I said excitedly playing my part and she smiled at me.

She told the guard to stand back and surround the place as we moved forward to the door. Before I could knock, Carlisle had flung it open with two men standing on either side of him wearing Volturi robes.

"Edward!" he said excitedly. "I'm so glad to find you well. Athenadora, what a pleasant surprise," he said stepping forward and kissing her cheek. She stood stunned, not because of what he did but because he held little Alistair in his arms. "Come, come, we have much to discuss," he said waving us in.

Athenadora gave me a questioning look and I shrugged in response. I took her arms and guided her in.

"I'm so pleased to find you well, Edward. We had been away and when we returned to our estate, there was only smoldering ashes. There was a blonde nomad that was lingering and asked about you and then he attacked us when we couldn't produce you. Emmett was able to distract him while the rest of us scattered. He seemed to follow us like a tracker so we ended up flying south and then changing again, flying north here to lose him. Still we didn't know if we had so we cut off contact with you so he couldn't use us to track you." He put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me into a hug. "I'm so glad you're well and the guard is here. We must keep watch for him," he added seriously looking at Athenadora. "Do you know who perished at the estate?" he asked worried.

"It was my family and some of the guard."

"Oh, mi lady, I'm so sorry," he said with true compassion only Carlisle could give.

"I thought I'd lost you," I sobbed and hugged him again. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, we made it out alright but he was fast. We were lucky to make it out alive. If it wasn't for Emmett's strength, I truly believe we would have all been lost."

"I'm glad you're all well but would you mind telling me who this little one is?" Athenadora asked caressing little Alistair's cheek. He smiled and reached out to her.

"This is my son, Alistair; would you like to hold him?" Carlisle asked and I worried for little Alistair but her thoughts were longing, not condemnation.

"Yes, please," she said and little Alistair wrapped his little arm around her neck as if hugging her. "He's so warm and has a heartbeat, yet he still smells of your family, how is that possible?"

"He's a half breed. He truly is my son and is being raised by my lovely wife, Esme. You see, before she was turned, she had lost a child and had brought her grief with her into this life. Being a doctor, I searched for ways to fix this for her and finally found that a surrogate would work. We keep the women on staff to work as nannies for the children and the children eat human food as well as drink blood. They develop at a slow rate but do continue to learn and grow, so as long as we keep them locked away in the estate, there's no risk of exposure. Once they're older, they blend easily in with the other humans, more so than we do."

"This is truly remarkable," she said her thoughts flitting to the possibility of having a child herself.

"Would you like to meet the rest of the family?" he asked pleasantly.

"Yes, I would love to," she said still holding little Alistair who seemed truly taken with her.

Carlisle led us down to the play room door and we peeked in to see my mother and sisters doting on the children. They all had been instructed not to acknowledge me. Athenadora walked in and Esme stood to greet her from the tea party she was attending. "Athenadora, it's so lovely of you to come visit," Esme said like a gracious host.

"You want to join the tea party?" Caroline, Esme's daughter asked sweetly.

"Why thank you," Athenadora said taking a seat. She was surprised when Caroline poured her a cup of blood out of the tea pot and sat down smiling.

"So, are you a princess, too?" Caroline asked.

"She's actually a queen," Esme said with proper enthusiasm.

"Wow, you're beautiful like a queen, too. I'm a princess," she said touching her plastic tiara. "Do you have a crown?" Caroline asked.

Athenadora smirked at Esme. "No, but I'll have to see about getting one."

"You should, they're so pretty and they make you feel pretty, too," Caroline said flipping her feather boa over her shoulder. Violet sat quietly next to them but had touched her tiara and flipped her boa at the same time as Caroline did as if to agree with her.

Carlisle cleared his throated getting Esme's attention. Her smile lit up when she saw me. "Oh, Edward," she said getting up and hugging me. "I'm so relieved to find you well," she said kissing my cheeks. "You will stay for a while, wont you? So much has happened since we last saw you, dear."

"Sure, Mom," I said looking curiously around the play room.

"Wonderful!" she said hugging me and then looked to Carlisle. "You must get the guest rooms ready." She turned to Athenadora, "You will be staying for a while, wont you?" Esme asked hopefully.

"Of course, I want to get to know these little ones," she said smiling.

"Wonderful!" Esme said clapping her hands.

I glanced at Alice, hoping to get an idea of what the hell was going on but she was blocking me from her visions.

Damn pixie!

A/N thanks for reading please review!


	58. Chapter 58

**SM owns it, Dollybigmomma rocks it, I just write it.**

**Chapter 58 – Yes, Dear**

**Caius' POV**

The girl seemed to calm down when I told her I was taking her to Edward, making the trip easier. I wasn't sure how that was going to go with her in this state of mind but surprisingly it went fine.

We arrived at the doorstep of the Cullen estate and were greeted by my guards who were still on the lookout for the crazed vampire that had killed my family. I let them know he was disposed of already and the young girl next to me started frowning and muttering, "Bad man, he was a bad, baaaaad man," shaking her head.

Carlisle answered the door and frowned at the girl. "You brought lunch?"

"Actually, this is part of your son's herd," I informed him and that made him frown even more.

Edward stepped forward smiling. "Uncle Caius!" he said excitedly and I had to admit I felt something when he considered me family but I wasn't sure what it was.

"Edward, I've come across one of your herd and thought it best to bring her back to you."

Edward looked at the small girl who was behind me, her eyes darting around nervously. "Little one," he called to her and she looked at him and her whole face lit up.

"Edward!" she shouted in relief and jumped into his arms.

"How is my little one?" he asked her but I answered him.

"She's most likely tired and in need of rest considering her condition."

"Condition? What is her condition?" Carlisle asked.

"She's a breeder and is with child," I informed him.

"You're not going to eat a pregnant woman are you?" Carlisle asked Edward.

"NO! Geez, Dad, I'm not insane," he complained reminiscent of an adolescent. Edward picked up the little girl, "I'm feeding her and putting her to bed," he said as he disappeared.

Carlisle seemed to pout in his direction, distracted by his son, so I patted his shoulder to get his attention. "I believe you have my wife?"

His whole face lit up at the mention of Athenadora and I had to admit, I felt territorial of my wife. His words quickly soothed me. "Her and my Esme have been having a lovely time. Really, you must come and see. Esme has truly enjoyed having her with us. They're in the children's play room at the moment."

"Children's play room?"

"Yes, don't be surprised if you're invited to a tea party when you enter. My little Caroline can be a rather insistent host," he chuckled as he led the way and I tried to make sense of his words.

He opened the door and I stood confused, taking in the sight of my wife sitting with Esme and two little girls, sipping from tiny cups. My wife had something on her head made of paper with something sparkly stuck to it.

"Athenadora," I said and she looked at me and smiled until she saw my expression.

She took off her paper hat and came to meet me at the door. "My Love," she whispered so low that the others would not hear. "These children are not of a forbidden nature. Please, my Love, do not be upset but come with me and meet the children."

My stance softened. I would do anything for my wife. "Yes, Dear."

She brought me forward to the little table, putting on her paper hat. "Princess Caroline, Princess Violet, this is King Caius, my husband."

It was a curious introduction but somehow fitting at the same time. The little creature's eyes widened as the both got up and curtseyed to me.

"Your Majesty, it is a great honor," the little blonde girl said. "Queen Athenadora has spoken of you fondly."

I looked at my wife curiously.

I noticed the littler dark haired one bump the blonde and point to her plastic crown on her head. The other girl seemed to nod in agreement and my wife smirked.

"Your Majesty, would you like us to make you a crown?"

I was about to protest when my wife cut me off. "Oh, girls, that would be just lovely."

The two little girls ran off and my wife pulled me down into a much too small chair and poured me a cup of blood. I had never had it this way but she seemed rather excited for me to try it.

I let out a sigh and took a sip to appease her. "This is human," I stated surprised.

"Yes, Carlisle gets it from the blood bank," Esme interjected, "We plan on raising the children on it. Of course, when they're old enough, we'll teach them to hunt animals like we do."

"Old enough?" I asked.

"Yes, they're growing and developing children. We're guessing that in their late teen years, we'll take them out for their first hunt. We do have small game on the estate that we allow them to hunt now. My grandson, EJ, is very fond of catching squirrels and raccoons."

A dark haired boy came running in and stopped abruptly as his eyes widened.

"EJ, honey, what do you need?" Esme asked.

The little boy seemed to be staring in shock at me.

I heard a man yell, "EJ, get back here now!"

Moments later, a large dark haired man stood behind the boy. "Sorry, Mom," he said to Esme, "My son got away from me." He picked up the boy and smiled at us. "Say goodbye, EJ."

The little boy smiled and I noticed he had matching dimples and looked like a miniature version of the large man. The boy waved and they turned and left us.

"Isn't that amazing, my Love! That is his son, his actual son!" my wife squealed and I looked to Esme confused.

"How is that even possible?" I asked.

Carlisle came in with a little bundle and a bottle of what looked like blood. "Esme dear, Alistair was woken and needs to eat. Edward needs me to examine the new girl that arrived, would you mind taking him?"

"Of course not. Athenadora, would you like to feed him?" Esme asked.

My wife let out a squeal, "Oh, I would love to," she said and moved instantly to take the child from Carlisle who handed it over readily.

"Thank you," he said to my wife and took off.

"Caius, my Love, look at his little golden locks, can't you just picture one of our own with your beautiful hair?" she said running her fingers through mine.

"How is that even possible?"

"We use surrogates," Esme answered. "Carlisle has developed a way for a human to carry a vampire's child and survive."

"They keep them as nannies," my wife interjected. "You really must see." She stood, still holding the little one in her arms and headed the way the little girls had gone. I noticed the scent of the women in the room was not as enticing.

"They don't cause the burn."

"No, Carlisle found that their body chemistry changes when they carry the children."

I just nodded, surprised at the information. The two women held the little girls on their laps, smiling and talking softly to them, encouraging them to glue little sparkly things to some paper.

When they finished, they looked up and the little girl's eyes lit up in excitement to see me and I had to admit, it warmed my insides.

"We're done! We're finished!" the little blonde said jumping up and down and the little dark haired girl walked forward and bowed as she presented me with a paper hat. Athenadora passed the baby to Esme and took that hat from the girl and then placed it on my head. I would have protested but the smile on my beloved's face and the sparkle in her eyes made me hold my tongue.

She kissed my cheek. "I do believe I'm married to the most handsome king in the world," she said sweetly.

She pulled me out of the room to her suite. "My Love, please tell me we can do this, that we can have a child of our own as well," she begged as she kissed down my neck.

**Epov**

We heard Caius and his wife go to her suite and Carlisle and I started in on the dialogue that we had prepared to explain Bella's pregnancy with my child.

"That can't be right!" I shouted.

"Edward, I think we've proven that it can be," Carlisle said.

"I just...I was…she'd been watching me for like a month or more. She was a bit of a scavenger and I was wondering since she was of breeding age if she was active. She was interested, so a few days later when I was marking her, things got out of hand. She was very aggressive," which in a sense was true of our first time.

"That must have been when it happened," Carlisle said.

"She never told me she was pregnant with my child. Hell, she never spoke to me again, just would watch me. I figured she bred with another when she came back around pregnant. I didn't even know it was possible!"

"She isn't that far along, Son, only a couple of months, she may have not known yet."

"And you're sure it's mine?" I asked.

"Unless she'd been sexually active with another vampire with your exact scent, which is impossible, Edward, she is carrying your child. Congratulations, you're going to be a father."

"But I don't even have a mate!" I shouted.

"Don't worry, Son, I'm sure Mom will help you out with your baby."

Carlisle nodded at me and walked out and I listened to him run into Caius in the hall. "The girl carries his child?" Caius asked.

"Yes, we had a surrogate available for Edward if he ever settled down but now it looks as if she will not be used," Carlisle said.

I heard Athenadora's excited voice, "You have an extra surrogate?"

"Yes, her name is Tanya. She's one of the four sisters I hired to carry children for my family. Of course, Edward was away from home and, well, he didn't have a mate, but I thought maybe while he was away that he might find someone," Carlisle said and then let out a sigh. "I don't know what to do with her now."

I could see Carlisle was looking at both of them; Athenadora's thoughts were eagerly shouting yes and Caius' thoughts were more grumping at the thought of having to deal with a human. I didn't blame him. I didn't want to deal with Tanya either. He had no idea what he was in for.

"Can we use her?" Athenadora asked quickly.

"Well, yes, of course. Are you interested in having a child?" Carlisle asked.

"We are," she answered. "Aren't we, dear?" she asked of her husband.

Caius let out a huff. "What exactly would this entail?" he asked.

"Well, we do all the procedures artificially, so basically your wife would help you fill a cup and I would then inject it into Tanya when she's ovulating to see if it takes. It most likely will, as we have very aggressive swimmers. Then after thirty-six weeks, we deliver a baby."

"That's all? That's so fast!" Athenadora squealed.

"Yes it is," Carlisle said smiling.

"When can we get started?" she asked. She was hoping he would say today.

"Well, that depends on where Tanya is in her cycle right now. I would have to go give her an exam and determine it and that would tell us when we could start the process. Are you really sure about this?" he asked mostly looking at Caius, who looked down at his bouncing wife. She was squeezing his arm and nodding yes. He thought she looked so young and vibrant at the thought of being a mother.

"Yes, we're sure," he said and gave his wife a real, broad smile. I was sure that would go down in the history book because I was sure he had not smiled that big in centuries.

"Oh, Caius, my Love, we're going to have a family again!" she squealed and then pulled him down into a kiss. The thoughts after that from both of them turned very graphic and Carlisle said he would let them know when Tanya was ready as the pair moved back into their room.

It looked like things were going to work out now for everyone.

A/N thanks for reading please review.


	59. Chapter 59

**SM owns it, I just play with it. Dollybigmomma really helped make this chapter worthy of reading. She is more awesome then possum so give her some love too.**

**Chapter 59 Letting the monster out**

**Epov**

Carlisle asked me to assist him in speaking with Tanya. He was worried that she would not agree to surrogate for Athenadora and Caius and Alice saw she would agree with my help.

"Tanya, I've come to examine you and get you ready to act as a surrogate," Carlisle said smiling. "I know you've waited a long time so I hope that you're still willing to be of use to us."

She looked at me wide-eyed. "Edward, you want me to carry your baby?" she asked beaming.

"No, my wife is carrying my child; you're to act as a surrogate for Athenadora and Caius."

She frowned and shook her head no. "I was supposed to be yours," she complained.

"That was not the deal," I snapped at her. "The only reason you were left with me was because no one else chose you. The contract was to state that you would carry a child, it did not specify who would father it, only that you would carry it, and in doing so, you would enjoy the luxuries we've given you."

"But, Edward…" she whined.

"No, you're not mine, nor did I ever want you! You've been paid and now it is time to render service."

"NO!" she snapped. "I won't, you can't make me."

"Believe me, Tanya, we most definitely can. The nicest we would be to you if you refused would be to let you walk out that door alive with nothing but the clothes on your back, and even that you would not deserve. You came here with nothing and you would leave here with nothing."

"That's not fair! I gave you the best years of my life. I've sat around waiting for you!"

"Your lack of betterment is not our fault. Even your sister, Kate, was able to obtain a college degree while in our service, so you knew we would not hold you back. Your lack of interest in anything but money and clothes is your own folly. Now get on the bed so you can be examined."

Her thoughts were scattered and panicked. She didn't think we would force her and wondered if we would really throw her out. I walked to her side and growled in her ear, "You know we're not human and you know we drink blood. What makes you think I won't drink yours and do away with your body if you cross me?"

"Edward, control yourself!" my father snapped.

I continued to growl at her, making her shiver in fear.

"Edward!" my father called me. He grabbed my arm and handed me a pouch of blood from the blood bank. "Sit down and drink. You need to get a hold of yourself if you're going to assist me."

Tanya had never seen me drink blood like this. Her mind flitted to all the tea parties and the sudden realization of what the red punch truly was. I bit into the bag and sucked it down, moaning softly at the sweet taste and let my eyes roll back so she could see the sheer pleasure I would get from drinking her blood.

"Tanya, dear," Carlisle said, "You know I wouldn't let him hurt you. Would you please cooperate? It would give my friends great pleasure to have a child, and another benefit of carrying a child," he paused looking at me for effect, "It changes your body chemistry to make you less desirable." I watched through Tanya's eyes as Carlisle licked his lips. I knew he had no urge to eat her and couldn't help the smirk that crossed my face as I realized he himself was playing along with me. "So, my dear, would you please do this for my family and let me examine you?"

She scooted up on her bed and he smiled at her. "Thank you," he said and got to work.

Tanya ended up having an infection from using so many of her toys and not cleaning them thoroughly. Carlisle gave her a heavy antibiotic to clear it up and told her she would know when it was gone when the fishy smell no longer lingered. He worried that the ongoing infection had damaged her eggs and may have affected her fertility. To compensate, she was given some fertility drugs.

The truth of the matter was, we were all depending on Tanya's ability to carry a child for Athenadora and Caius. If she did, then we most definitely would survive their visit and the children would be accepted into the vampire community.

It was a month later that Tanya was given a pregnancy test that came back positive. Athenadora was ecstatic and Caius even smiled.

Carlisle said they were so joyous because once you had lived and experienced everything like they had nothing seemed exciting anymore. But having a child, that was something new and exciting. It was a rare and wonderful experience that would give them decades of new life experiences they could enjoy together.

Once Carlisle explained it, Caius's rare smiles seemed to make more sense. I wondered if being a father would soften him up or affect the way he led the Volturi.

Much to everyone's surprise, Athenadora took to pampering Tanya. Of course, it made sense to me because I saw the way she cared for Precious. Tanya was just a much larger and more demanding pet. Tanya did not know this and I thought it best not to tell her, as she seemed to truly enjoy the attention she was finally given.

As for my Bella, she seemed to return back to normal after some time in my care. Carlisle ran some test and it seemed that the baby was absorbing my enzymes and that was why she was no longer affected by my touch. It turned out that the baby did not absorb other vampire's enzymes, though, so any contact she had with James or Caius would cause her wild behavior. I was relieved to find that she was fine and kept her close to me at all times. I rarely left her side unless I was asked to by my father and thought it was sweet when Athenadora would come to visit me when Bella was in my care. She would wait until she was asleep and I would tell her of how I found my curious little one who would keep an eye on me and liked to stay close to where I was staying.

She told me she could hear Bella whispering my name and words of love to me and suggested I take her as a mate after the child was born.

"I think I might, though I'll see if she'll want another child first before I turn her. It's a rare opportunity I have, to give my mate children of her own," I said.

"Yes, it is, cherish it, Edward, and her. I can see the way you look at each other; you do love each other as mates."

I smiled. "Who would have thought I would have found a mate in a human?" I said kissing Bella's head.

Athenadora let out a chuckle. "She is amazing, even Caius considered turning her but held back because she was with child. You know, she saved his life."

"Really?"

"Yes, the killer was getting the upper hand on him and the two guards, and out of nowhere she just lit him up like a Salem witch."

I frowned at my Bella. "Do you think she'll be alright?"

"I do, she seems much more together in your care, and that can only get better once she's been changed."

"I hope you're right," I said smiling internally. I had the Volturi's blessing to mate with my Bella. Everything was falling into place.

It was three months later that we found out that Tanya was carrying twins. Once again, Caius smiled and Athenadora seemed to be going wild with plans for her new little ones and Caius seemed please with her excitement.

They had really started to blend in with our family, playing the part of aunt and uncle to us all. I could tell from their thoughts that they had developed connections with us and considered us part of their coven. I knew for a fact that Esme considered them family.

There was discussion of us all moving to Italy. Precious had been flown with her kittens to our home in Alaska but her room was not as elaborate as the one at home in Italy. The women spoke excitedly of the move but I worried that my Bella would not be as thrilled, as it would take her farther from her parents. When I discussed it with her, though, she said it was just a plane ride away, just like it was now. She didn't care where we were as long as we were together. My Bella was perfect.

Caius was mulling over his position as Volturi ruler, not about giving it up but who would rule with him. His brothers had yet to be replaced. He had already planned to speak with Carlisle about taking the position. I wondered how it would be received. Caius and Athenadora both had changed their diets to blood bank food, stating it was just easier and less messy. Carlisle did not think he would ever get them to drink animals but hoped that they would continue their kill free meals.

**Caius' POV**

I had not seen my wife so happy in centuries and the excitement of the unknown was all-encompassing when it came to the children's arrival. We planned on moving to Italy before their birth and all of the Cullens planned on joining us, much to both my wife's and my pleasure. We knew Edward and Isabella would not be able to join us until after her baby was born, as she was too far along at this time to travel but I wanted my children to be native Italians. It was something the Cullens all understood and supported excitedly.

I had decided to ask Carlisle to rule with me and hoped he would accept. If he did, I would ask for his advice on which of his sons he thought should join our rule. I found him in his study and he welcomed me in with a genuine smile.

"Caius, what can I do for you?" he asked his voice sincere.

"I've come to ask something of you that will change your existence but I hope it would be for the better."

He leaned forward in his chair and nodded for me to go on.

"I'm looking for replacements for my brother's positions and I was hoping you would be willing to fill one of them."

His face lit up. "That's truly an honor to bestow upon me. Are you sure I'm worthy?" he asked.

"I'm positive, Carlisle. I would like to have you come home to rule with me."

He stood up, taking my hand in both of his. "This is amazing, just absolutely exciting, I would love to take the position," he said eagerly.

"There's just one other thing," I said and he sat down again, motioning for me to go on. "We need a third and I wanted your opinion on which of your sons we should choose to rule with us."

"Well, they're all gifted and all would be an asset."

"Really?"

"Yes, Emmett has extraordinary strength, Jasper has the ability to manipulate emotions, and Edward can read minds."

I knew Edward was gifted but to hear what his gift was, it was a bit shocking. I had thought his gift had something to do with the animals and to find out it was mindreading was really surprising.

"You know, Caius, what if we don't choose?" he said raising an eyebrow at me.

"Not choose?" I asked confused.

"Well, we're in charge, are we not? Who says there has to be only three rulers? Why not ask them all to rule with us? Each would bring invaluable strengths and insights to the cause, and I think it would do wonders for public perception of the Volturi to have a committee style of leadership rather than a monarchy. Perhaps our wives would even consider being part of the tribunal. We both know they rule us as it is. Why not share the wealth," Carlisle smiled.

I mulled this over in my head for a moment but the more I thought of it, the more it made sense. The Cullens were the strongest coven I had come across and their connections to each other were stronger than any others I had ever seen. To be part of their coven and accepted with them in our world as a more democratic tribunal would be a great power move on my part and a pleasant one as well.

"Do you think they'll accept the positions?"

"I do believe they will," he said smiling widely.

A/N More to come!


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60 – Fountains of Joy**

**Caius' POV**

The move to Italy went smoothly and the children seemed to thrive as we prepared for our new arrivals. My beloved wife was beside herself with joy, filling the castle with a spirit that had never been here before. The addition of the Cullens to the Volturi was the best move I could have made. They all seemed excited to be with us and I would secretly admit that I loved being called Uncle Caius.

Being a doctor was still deeply ingrained in Carlisle, so space was given to him to open a health clinic for the residents of Volterra. The only payment required was that the able adults make a contribution to the clinic's blood bank, which became the feeding method of choice around the castle. The clinic also paid handsomely for donors to just come in and give blood, which was very appealing to many of the poor but healthy humans, keeping us well supplied and no longer in need of Heidi's scouting expeditions. I likened Carlisle's practice to that of a dairy farmer tending to his herd of milk cows and he laughed heartily. Then I had to smile to myself. I couldn't remember the last time I had cracked a joke.

I was walking with Alice in the courtyard, listening to her explain how her gift worked. You could imagine how amazed I was to learn that she was a seer. Aro would have loved her, that was for sure. I didn't think the Volturi had ever been stronger or better than we were now.

We had just walked under a tree when a small child dropped down from it into my arms and kissed my cheek. It was Alice's daughter, Violet, and she had a beaming smile. Air left my chest in short pants making an odd sound and then I realized I was laughing and it felt really good. Violet jumped out of my arms and ran toward the castle.

"Well, Uncle Caius, you've officially been the victim of a kiss and run. Violet is famous for them," Alice laughed.

"Well, it was my pleasure," I told her truthfully, and it was.

**Epov**

Once my family left, I had Bella's parents flown in to spend some time with her. She knew that once she was changed, she couldn't see them for a while, if ever, so we would have to sneak away now to visit with them until then. Right now, though, I was doing my best to keep myself together. I was in a bit of a panic, as I was to deliver my child in the next few days. Kate had stayed behind because she had trained to be an RN and I would be in serious need of her services.

Charlie was less than pleased when he heard that Bella was pregnant and due to deliver very soon. What we didn't tell them was that we were taking the child at thirty-six weeks, so of course they thought she became pregnant a month sooner than she did. That would have put us in England at the time. She had told them of the trip and insisted I was a gentleman. Her father no longer believed that now.

Renee, on the other hand, came with a mess of tools to run more of her insane tests. My wife completely lost it and thankfully again, Charlie stepped in and saved my girl. He would be getting a new fishing boat for Christmas. Bella insisted that he would love it. I thought Santa should put a fishing excursion to Alaska in his stocking for good measure. When I mentioned it to Bella, she asked if we could join him. I kissed her belly instead of saying no. I was worried the trip would be too hard on our new baby. She seemed to read my mind even though she knew I could never tell her no. "Maybe another time then?" she asked.

"It's a promise," I whispered against her lips. Her parents were sleeping and I knew I needed to let her rest but it was difficult. I only felt truly alone with her when they were asleep. I knew they couldn't hear us otherwise but I guess the threat of them maybe figuring out what we were doing if they were awake stopped me from making advances on my wife during the day.

I nibbled on my wife's neck, asking without words and she pulled me to her kissing me softly. Her hand found the front of my pants, rubbing softly. What would have sent me running frazzled from the room just months ago had me purring softly in pleasure, moving against her hand. I moved down next to her and nibbled her breast. Soft, full white globes topped with little ripe raspberries. I licked them softly, letting my cool breath peak my beautiful titty treats.

Her arousal filled my nostrils and I fought for control, only just clinging to it after I stripped us both of our clothes. I buried my face in my little haven between her thighs and suckled the nectar there. She responded quickly, finding her release and giving me a fruit just as sweet as her blood. I lapped up her juices and then made my way up her body, kissing and worshiping every inch of her beautiful and swollen baby bump. I kissed the crest of her belly, smiling at what I had done to her. She was pregnant with my child. MINE.

She was mine and no one could say otherwise. I pressed inside of her as she begged me for more. I had to say, I did truly enjoy her much higher sex drive. I was careful and gentle, not wanting disturb her cervix or hurt the baby. I cradled her in my arms, holding her pregnant body at just the right angle to help her find her release and felt her body grip mine as she called out my name. I gently kissed her face, whispering that I loved her as she came down from her high, but just as her body relaxed I felt a warm gush of fluid, much more fluid than there should have been.

Her eyes widened and she looked down at where we were still joined. "Edward, I think my water just broke."

I pulled out and propped her up carefully. "Don't move, let me get my bag." I was sure she was right but I was silently praying she was wrong. I threw on my clothes and grabbed my bag. I took out a test swab and quickly took a sample. The purple tip proved she was right and she looked up at me quizzically before I realized she didn't know what it meant. "It did, your water broke. I have to deliver our baby in the next twenty-four hours, love," I said bringing her robe to her. I wrapped her up and kissed her cheek, trying to hide my fear from her worried face. "It'll be alright. Let's go to the labor and delivery room, Love. Everything will be fine."

As I carried her down the hall, I knocked on the bedroom door of Kate and she quickly got Renee and Charlie up. They all met us in the O-R where I was supposed to do the c-section. Charlie pulled me aside. "Boy, you look a little paler than usual, maybe we should take her to the hospital." Bella had told them she wanted to have her baby at home. Renee was sure we were doing it this way because we didn't want the government to find out that I was an alien and the baby was half alien. She had no idea how close to the truth she was.

Kate put her hand on my shoulder. "Edward, you can do this. You delivered my baby and Irina's and Carmen's. You can do this."

I took a deep breath and nodded okay and got to work marking my wife's tummy as Kate laid out the instruments. She sat Bella up and cleaned her back so I could give her an epidural. When I pulled out the needle, Charlie paled and Renee had him put his head between his legs.

Kate held Bella as I administered the epidural, kissing her shoulder softly, apologizing for the pain. Once I was done, she kissed me softly as I helped her lay down. "You can do this, Edward," she said cupping my cheek and kissing me one last time. She was my angel and I hoped to god that I didn't mess this up.

I stepped to the other side of the sheet, trying to pull myself together so I could do this but I found that I was shaking. Kate put her hand on my arm as if to comfort me but even she could see that I wouldn't be able to cut open my wife.

To everyone's surprise, there was a knock on the door. Renee called for them to come in and Carlisle came in dressed in scrubs. "Alice said you would need a hand."

I hugged my father and sighed in relief. "Oh, thank heavens."

He held me for only a second, patting my shoulder and said, "Let's get my grandbaby."

I quickly moved to Bella's side, taking her hand and kissing her head. "Everything is going to be fine now, Love. Carlisle can do this with a steady hand and his eyes closed."

I heard him chuckle. "Don't worry, Bella. I'll keep them open."

The next thing we heard was the cry of a baby.

**Bpov**

We heard the baby cry and Edward's face lit up like the sun. He was beaming and his excitement was tangible. I wished I could have sat up and seen my baby but thankfully Kate knew what I wanted and brought my baby to my side. He had dark hair and his eyes were a vivid blue. I knew with time they would change and I hoped they would turn green, as Edward had said once that his eyes used to be a lovely shade of green. Okay, he didn't say lovely but I could just picture them being lovely.

"A son," Edward said taking our boy from Kate. "We have a son!" he said a little louder and more excited. He turned to see a green faced Charlie who was holding a bowl. Apparently, he didn't fair the operation well. "I have a boy!" he said nearly shoving the baby in my parent's face and then took him excitedly to Carlisle. "Look at my boy, Dad, isn't he perfect?"

"He is absolutely perfect, Edward," Carlisle said sweetly.

Edward made his way back to me. The baby was still fussing lightly. "Look, love, a boy, we have a boy."

I couldn't help but giggle at his excitement. I loved that he loved our son so much already. He was over the moon and it was obvious he was going to be an amazing father.

The baby drooled a little and Edward unwrapped him a bit to wipe his mouth. Of course, when the cold air hit his little boy parts, our son shot off like a fountain, causing us all to burst out laughing as Edward's face caught the brunt of it. Our fussy son settled right down then and Carlisle walked up to my stunned husband and patted his shoulder. "Looks like his kidneys are working just fine. Good to know," he said and handed Edward a towel to dry himself.

My wonderful husband looked at me and smiled as he wiped his face. Smirking, he kissed his son and I could just hear him whisper, "Next time, get your mom."

A/N well here is another chapter. I swear I will be wrapping this fic up fast I think maybe two chapters more at most. I do have a couple chapters ready for my new fic call, The Phantoms Scars; I hope you will all check it out. It is a bit more serious but I am hoping it is still good. Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	61. Chapter 61

**SM owns it Dollybigmomma rocks it, I just write it. **

**Chapter 61 – Family Ways**

**Bpov**

Edward came rushing into the bedroom in a blur and was acting way too innocent. He ended up taking little Charlie from me and feeding him his bottle. We had decided on naming him after my father because I wanted to remember my dad even when he was gone centuries from now. The very thought broke my heart. Edward was sweet enough to agree with me. Besides, having an Edward and an Edward Jr. would just end up being too confusing, and I was sure Junior would want to kill us all after a few centuries of being called Junior. Of course, we still used Edward's name. Our son was officially Charles Edward Cullen and was the apple of his daddy's and grandpa's eyes.

I did eventually figure out what Edward was up to when my mother came in asking him if he had seen her bag of instruments. He smoothly answered, saying, "Nope."

Yeah, he was so guilty, but I couldn't blame him because her next words set me on edge. She wanted to run a few tests on our son. I thought my father was asleep in the corner of the room but at the sound of his ex-wife threatening to experiment on his grandson, he was wide awake.

"Woman, you take you and your crazy ass experiments and get the hell away from my boy!" he said storming over to where Edward was holding the baby. "Nobody is touching a hair on my grandson's head!" he glared at her.

She, of course, had the audacity to ask me to talk some sense into my dad. I told her no, she was not touching my baby with anything other than her hands and it had better be as a grandma, not a scientist. Otherwise, she could just go home.

She stayed for a few more days but ended up cutting her visit short. Apparently, a spaceship crashed somewhere in Mexico and Phil was going to be meeting her down there. I also noticed that her bag filled with her instruments just happened to magically re-appear in the back of the cab when they came to pick her up to take her to the airport. Again, Edward just smiled innocently. I think we were all thankful for his sneaky bag stealing ways.

I did truly enjoy my father's visit and was very sad to see him go. I never thought of my dad as someone into children but the way he fawned over little Charlie just proved me wrong. When he left, I looked at Edward and told him that we just couldn't take his grandson from him. I was having a hard enough time taking myself out of his life. We just had to find a way to visit him after I was changed.

It was a few days later that two Volturi guards showed up at our door and bowed to Edward. He told me that he had taken the position on the new council but to see it in action was weird. They both eyed me nervously and Edward later told me it was because a place on the council had been reserved for me as well. They did not want to submit to a human but they didn't want to offend me, either.

They were sent to accompany us to Italy. We needed guards now that we were royalty. That was still a little surreal. I didn't quite believe it myself. Of course, once we made it to Italy and I was given a room in the castle, along with some servants, it started to sink in. My servants were human and spoke mostly Italian but they seemed to figure out what I needed. It helped that Edward could speak Italian fluently and could read their minds.

Apparently, my maid, Vivian, was bi-sexual and found both Edward and I very attractive. I couldn't help but chuckle at how Edward reacted when she was in the room. He was constantly wrapping me in blankets or coats and then hiding behind me from her. My poor boy was still sweet and innocent at heart.

I didn't dismiss Vivian, though, because Mittens just loved her and we needed someone to keep our kitty busy while we cared for our baby. Edward had let baby Charlie rub his foot on Mittens but kept her away from his hands. He said he didn't want Mittens to end up a chew toy. It wouldn't end well.

I believed him, as he was very careful with the baby, making sure his little mouth never got near me, and I had to admit that as he grew, his little hands left more than one bruise on my arms and shoulders. Of course, I wouldn't dare tell Edward this because he wouldn't let me hold my baby boy anymore. I figured the day he started breaking my bones, I would have to put him down. I hoped that wouldn't be for a while.

I found Edward looking at fishing boats and kissed his head. Little Charlie grabbed a fist full of Edward's hair when I leaned in and nearly pulled him out of the chair. I let out a chuckle and apologized.

"Don't worry, Love, as long as it wasn't your head. He can't pull out my hair," he said smiling as he carefully pried his boy's hand from his hair. He took him smiling. "Come help me pick out a Christmas present for grandpa," he said kissing his little head. "We need to find a nice fishing boat for Grandpa Charlie. It's the least we could do since he saved us from your crazy grandma Renee."

"Oh, Edward, this is going to be just perfect, he's going to love it!" I said as he pulled me down to his lap to look at the boats displayed on the computer screen.

"So which one?" he asked and I helped him pick one out to be delivered for Charlie to find in front of his house on Christmas morning.

As for Edward, I had something special planned. I had been seeing Carlisle and asking him about having another baby. I knew I wanted to be changed soon but wanted to give Edward at least one more baby, so when Carlisle suggested fertility drugs, I thought he was a genius. He was confident he could deliver a set of twins for us with little to no problems. Tanya had been the first to deliver a set of half-breed twins and it went smoothly.

Athenadora and Caius were the proud parents of two little blond haired babies, one boy and one girl. To everyone's surprise, Caius was quite the doting father. I had to admit, it was rather amusing to see him and his wife walking around with matching baby slings under their Volturi capes.

As for my surprise for Edward, it was fairly simple. I just stopped taking my birth control and started taking my fertility drugs in its place. I worried that Carlisle wouldn't be able to keep it from Edward but when my period was three days late just before Christmas, I hurried to Carlisle to confirm what I hoped. A quick ultra sound confirmed that I was indeed pregnant and carrying twins.

Little Charlie was only about six month old right now but I knew with Edward's help and him changing me after the twins were born that we would be able to handle all three of them. I packed up our bags as we readied to fly to Forks to visit with my father. I wanted to spend as many holidays with my dad as I could before I was changed and had to stay away from him.

Edward was still looking for ways to justify our contact with him after my change. I hoped that he would figure it out before too long.

The flight was long and Edward spent most of it calming little Charlie. My dad wanted to pick us up from the airport but the Volturi had sent some guards with us as well. We had our own caravan which was going to be difficult to explain to Charlie. The guards parked up the road and spread out, surrounding the house. Apparently, half-breed children were now a high threat for kidnapping among vampires. No one had been taken but there were several rumors and threats that kept our family on its toes.

Charlie was thrilled we were able to come and I was thrilled to be there. There were fishing pole shaped gifts under the tree for all three of us and I hoped that we would have a chance to use them before we left.

Charlie knew Edward had gone back to 'work' and asked him what he was doing now.

"Edward has changed jobs, sort of," I explained.

Edward smiled tightly and nodded in agreement but my dad's narrowing eyes made him nervous.

"What's he doing now?" he asked suspiciously.

"He's sort of royalty and is usually busy ruling now," I answered just putting it out there.

"What?" he snapped. "What kind of wool are you trying to pull over my baby girl's eyes now, boy?"

"Daddy! It's no wool, his uncles in Italy where we moved were rulers over Volterra and, well, other communities," I said vaguely. "His Uncle Aro and Uncle Marcus along with some of their family died in a horrible fire. His remaining uncle, Uncle Caius, asked his family to come fill the void and help keep the peace in Italy."

"That's why you moved? You're some big shot now?"

"No, Sir, I'm just on a ruling council with the rest of my family and it takes up most of my time. I spend every free second with my family," he said leaning over and kissing my temple, "so I've retired from my previous employment."

There was a light knock on the door and Edward let out a sigh. I knew he knew who it was. I was surprised when he let Charlie follow him to the door. One of our guards stood there looking around nervously. "Sir, there's an acquaintance that insists on your personal attention. They traveled all this way to speak with you personally about a situation," he said vaguely with a thick Italian accent.

Edward let out a sigh and nodded okay. "You're with me, the rest of you keep an eye on the house and my family," he said and headed out the door.

My father looked at me stunned and I let out a sigh and walked back to the bouncer little Charlie was sitting in.

"What was that all about, Bells?" he asked.

"Work, I suppose," I said casually.

"Who was that guy, and who was Edward talking to when he said to watch the house?"

"Our guard, we have to have guards with us anytime we leave the castle now."

"Castle?" he asked shocked and I looked over at him and smiled.

"Yes, Daddy, we live in a castle." I walked over to my laptop and pulled up the tourist screen with my home as one of the main attractions. "I live here," I said pointing to it.

"Are you trying to pull a fast one on me?" he asked and I laughed.

"No, Daddy, no fast one here."

I was surprised when Edward returned and had a pregnant woman with him. She looked stressed and tired and I could see the woman's panicked face as she tried to fight against him to no avail. I slipped out while Charlie was distracted with his grandson and met Edward on the front porch in hopes to settle her down before Charlie noticed.

"Edward, honey, who is this?" I asked sweetly.

"She was brought here by a nomad named Charlotte who wants to keep the half-breed child herself once it's born."

I looked at the woman who seemed terrified of Edward. "Hi, I'm Bella, are you alright? Can I get you anything?" I asked and she burst out sobbing.

Edward let out an annoyed sigh and set her on the porch swing. I sat next to her and asked if she was okay again as I rubbed her back and she shook her head no. Edward was rubbing his temples, obviously struggling to deal with her thoughts.

"Edward, we need to get her inside so she doesn't get sick."

"Very well. Do you think your father would mind?" he asked.

"Of course not, he's chief of police," I said and the woman looked up at me hopefully.

"Really?" she said.

I nodded yes and then pointed to my dad's cruiser in the driveway. She hugged me tightly sobbing harder, and then Edward finally pried her off me and carried her inside.

My dad was at the woman's side instantly and I was shocked by the story she sobbed out to my father. Apparently, a man had kidnapped her and kept her captive for the last seven months. She didn't look quite seven months along, so we could guess what happened to her. She told of a woman who saved her but brought her here to us instead of letting her go home.

Edward was pacing angrily and pinched his nose. "I need to call the others," he said reaching for his phone.

"I'll get an APB out looking for the man," Charlie started but Edward cut him off.

"She was brought here because it was one of our subjects that did this. I'll call and have the guards take care of this."

"But it's in my jurisdiction!" Charlie argued.

"No matter," Edward looked at Charlie closely. "My subjects are always punished no matter where they are." The question was what to do with the child. The woman, Charlotte, who had saved her, had offered to care for her and the child until the birth. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take her to Volterra until the birth. Would you like to put the child up for adoption?" he asked her.

She looked at him nervously and then to me. Little Charlie woke and I picked him up and carried him in. Her eyes fixated on him for a moment and then looked at Edward again, not speaking. Apparently, she had answered in her mind, though, because Edward pulled out his phone and called Carlisle, updating him on the situation.

"Another group of guards are on the way to escort her and Charlotte to the Castle where my father can look after her and make sure the baby is delivered safely."

"No please don't make me go," the woman begged my father.

"You will not be safe here. If you want to live, you will go with the guards until we dispatch the culprit," Edward snapped startling both my father and the woman.

He pinched his nose again. "She can't stay here. I don't want to risk him coming here and finding us," Edward said touching my cheek. He stepped out on the porch and called for Charlotte and I saw the red-headed nomad sprint forward. "You will accompany the woman to Volterra along with two of my guards where you will stay and help care for her. My family will be expecting you," he said and handed the woman over to Charlotte and pointed to two guards, making a dismissing motion before he stepped back inside the house, closing the door.

Charlie stared at him furious. "What the hell are you doing, boy?" he shouted.

"My job," Edward said tiredly and retired to my room where we were supposed to be sleeping. He seemed to be hiding and I didn't blame him.

"How can you condone this behavior, Bella?" he snapped at me.

"Daddy, there's a lot you don't understand."

"Like hell I don't! He's trying to brush something under the rug, not reporting a damn thing."

"He did, Dad, and it will be taken care of!"

"He's brain washing you!" he shouted and then baby Charlie pulled on the collar of my shirt, exposing some of the bruising my little angel had left behind.

"Is he hurting you?" Charlie shouted an octave higher, grabbing my wrist and exposing my bruising. The little hand prints were hard to make out and looked like several severe pinches.

"No, Dad, Edward would never hurt me."

I was surprised when Edward came down with our bags. "I'm sorry, Chief Swan, but we have to cut our visit short."

"Like hell you are! You aren't going anywhere, you wife beater! I won't let you lay a hand on her again!"

"Daddy, it wasn't him!"

"Then who, honey?"

"It was the baby, okay? He's very strong for his age and I bruise easily," I tried to explain.

Edward just shook his head. "He doesn't believe you, love," he whispered in my ear. "We need to go before he makes a bigger mess of this. I just got a call from Alice."

"Oh, Daddy," I cried and hugged him tightly. "I love you," I said as Edward ushered me out the door.

I wondered what his response to the boat would be when it arrived tomorrow.

A/N This story took a weird turn making itself longer then I thought, sorry about that. Just hang on for a few more chapters. I swear I am trying to end this thing, it just gets away from me sometimes.

Thanks for reading please review.


	62. Chapter 62

**SM owns, Dollybigmomma really rocked this chapter this time and yeah I wrote it. Now you read it!**

**Chapter 62 – It's a wrap!**

**Epov**

The council was in a tizzy over this new development. A human had been kidnapped and raped by a vampire to produce a child. From what I could pull from the woman's mind, he did it to obtain the child. He was not 'playing with his food,' which would fall under a different law all together.

Charlotte was doing her best to care for her, but the woman tended to shy away from our kind which posed another problem; she knew what we were. The bastard that did this to her didn't bother to hide his nature from her. So, by our own law, she would have to be changed or killed. No one was happy with doing either.

In the end, it was Athenadora that decided we should ask the woman which fate she would choose. I could tell by the poor woman's thoughts that she would most likely wish for death and it weighed heavily on my mind.

It didn't help that my Bella was upset that her father was still not happy with us. He was sure I was some sort of con-artist, using his daughter and hurting her. Once I saw the bruises little Charlie had left behind, I stopped letting her hold him, causing her to spiral into a depression. I hated that I was hurting my Love.

Carlisle came to our room and I noticed right away he was blocking his thoughts. "Bella, dear, may I see you down in the clinic?" he asked and a sudden realization clicked in her head. Her eyes widened and she looked at me.

"Oh, my goodness! I was so wrapped up with everything going on with Charlie and Pamela that I completely forgot to tell him!" she said referring to the woman who had been kidnapped.

Carlisle smiled widely. "I was wondering about that. I was worried you had changed your mind since you hadn't told him," he said, continuing to block me.

"Tell me, tell me what?" I asked worried and frustrated.

Bella shushed me so I wouldn't wake the baby and pushed herself into my arms. "It is nothing bad, honey; I just forgot to give you your Christmas present."

I looked at her even more confused. "What does Carlisle have to do with my present?"

She blushed lightly. "Not much really, he was just, um…"

Carlisle let out a laugh. "You'll know when she tells you. I'll leave you to it," he said and patted my shoulder, slipping out.

I looked down at my wife and let her pull me to our bed. She kissed me softly, "I know you want a family but I want to be changed soon, so..." she said with a little eye roll and a hand wave that really clued me in to nothing.

"So…What?" I asked.

She pulled her shirt off, completely distracting me from the conversation at hand. My hands, like titty magnets, found her nipples and soon my lips followed. She moaned my name but not the way I wanted. I looked up to see her flushed face smiling at me. "That was not why I took off my shirt."

I frowned at her and tweaked her nipple for good measure.

She giggled and wove her hands in my hair. "Come here," she said, guiding my head down to her tummy and ran her fingers through my hair softly. "Now, tell me what you hear."

I took a deep breath and blocked out all the surrounding creaks and groans of the building and all the other noises that come from an over-populated castle. I was listening intently to her tummy when it dawned on me. She wanted me to listen to her TUMMY! I gently pressed my ear to her abdomen, listening intently. The soft whoosh of two little heartbeats made me jump up excited. "We're having twins!" I shouted.

She tried to shush me but it was too late, the baby was awake. "You hear that, baby boy, you're going to be a big brother," I said picking him up and kissing his little head.

He liked my excitement, kicking and wiggling while he squealed. This was just what I needed to pick up my day. My Bella was still my saving angel.

**Bpov**

Edward was thrilled that I was pregnant again. The fact it was with twins just seemed to excite him even more. He spent the rest of the day discussing what we could do to accommodate the children in our quarters. He started moving furniture excitedly and ordering other pieces online. I sat smiling, playing with little Charlie on the bed. I dangled his toys for him as he cooed at me softly. I still was not allowed to let him touch me but I would touch him. I would tickle his little feet, and when he rolled over I would rub his little back. It had taken some time but I had found ways to kiss and love on my baby without getting hurt myself.

Edward looked up at me smiling and then pouted briefly as I played with his son. I knew what he was thinking.

"You're going to have to change me after the twins are born," I said dodging the baby's hand as he reached for me. It was not his fault he could break my finger if he caught it.

Edward came over and lay down with us, looking at us troubled. "We can work around it," he said.

"No, Edward. I want to be able to hold my children! I want to cuddle with them! I need to hold my babies!" Our son started to whimper and I kissed his little head and rubbed his leg so he would know it was okay, always staying just out of reach of his hands.

Edward reached forward, letting him grab his finger and I frowned. "It's not fair that you can let him love you and hug you and reach for you but I can't. I want to let him show me he loves me, too, Edward," I explained. "All three of them are going to need me, too, just like I need them."

Edward looked down at our little one who was now sucking on his knuckle, holding it tightly in his little fist. He let out a sigh. "Very well, but you must let me do a little research on the newborns in the castle and how they feel around the babies first. I think they have control but I want to be sure. I know you would never want to hurt our children."

I leaned forward kissing my husband. "Thank you," I said against his lips and he smiled in return.

It was almost two years later that word of vampires running amuck in Seattle led to our return to Forks. The guard was much larger and stronger now than ever. The newborns were more in control of themselves. Even I could handle humans in small doses and I was the youngest vampire present.

I was nervous about seeing my father. I didn't want to hurt him but I still had to see him. I crossed the newly fallen snow and perched myself in a tree in the back yard, watching him move around in his shed. He was getting his snow shovel out. I hopped from tree to tree until I was posted in front of the house; still back a ways in the trees out of site. The cruiser was snowed in. My father looked more tired and worn than I remembered and I longed to go to him.

I noticed the boat we had given him was sitting in the yard covered and I could see the faded red ribbon still attached. He had gotten our gift but had refused to use it.

My phone vibrated and I opened it to hear Alice talking to Edward. "Just go already! I'm on the phone with her now," she told him and turned her voice back to me. "Bella, go see your father. It'll be fine. Edward is bringing the children. It's time to make amends."

I snapped my phone shut and moved across the tree tops, dropping languidly down onto the boat we had given him. "Did you not like it?" I asked.

He turned and his eyes widened as he took in my new pale form and sharper features. "Bella?" he asked.

I smiled. "Yes, Daddy, it's me. Are you still upset with me?" I asked.

He set down his snow shovel and moved closer to me. "You look more like them now," he said.

I smiled and hopped down in front of him gracefully. "Yes, they live much longer, Daddy, the change was necessary if I was to live and be able to care for my children."

He shook his head and I knew he thought it was forced.

"I asked for it. Edward struggled with the idea. It was me that wanted this, Daddy. I love him; I wanted this so I could stay with him, so I can stay with my family."

"I'm your family!" he argued.

I frowned. "You're still my family, Daddy, but so are your grandchildren. I told you little Charlie was strong. He could hurt me in my human form but the children can't hurt me anymore."

"Human form? What, are you really some kind of alien?" he asked confused.

I shook my head no. "We're not aliens, just different," I said and gave him a smile hoping to stop this line of questioning.

I heard the guard arrive and surround the area. I smiled. "They're here."

"Who?"

"The guard, that means Edward has arrived with the children," I said excitedly and carefully took his hand, making sure not to crush it. I sniffed the air and caught wind of them coming through the forest. "Come on, Daddy, come see my children," I said and startled him when I easily lifted him, cradling him and took off into the forest at vampire speed.

His stunned brown eyes locked on my golden ones and stayed that way when I stopped and carefully set him down.

"Momma!" my daughter called to me from my husband's arms.

"Abigail!" I answered, reaching for her and she leaped to me with ease. She looked so much like my human self, even at only a year old. Her brown hair and deep brown eyes would always remind me of whom I was before the change.

"Gwanpa?" Little Charlie said looking up at my dad with his lovely green eyes.

"That's right, Charlie, that's the grandpa you're named after," Edward spoke smoothly.

I saw my father's eyes shift from Abigail's to his namesake and he smiled. "He's grown a lot."

"Yes, he has, he's two and a half now. The twins are just fifteen months old right now."

"Can I hold her?" he asked of Abigail.

I looked at her worried. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Dad, they're very strong and young, they might hurt you on accident."

Little Charlie came forward holding his arms out. "I soft," he said reaching up for him.

I smiled at my son. "Okay, be soft and gentle, like you are with kitty, okay?"

He nodded yes and I turned to my dad, "You can pick up Charlie. You should be okay."

My dad picked up his grandson smiling. "You're a big heavy boy."

"I growed," Charlie said proudly to his grandpa.

"Yes, yes you did."

We walked back to the house and sat by the fire. The children would not get sick but could feel the cold temperatures, so we did our best to warm them. Charlie brought them some hot cocoa and I smiled.

"Would you like some, Bells?" he asked.

"No, Daddy, I'm fine, thanks," I said smiling at Edward.

There was a knock at the door and Edward looked at me and frowned. "They want to speak with you," he said and I stood up and nodded.

"What do they want with her?" my father asked.

"She's my wife, and when she was changed, she took her place on the royal council with me. She's known for her compassion," my husband said and I could hear the soft smile in his voice.

Charlie peeked into the foyer as I opened the door and the guard bowed to me. "My Lady, a woman as arrived and requested your assistance."

I looked back at my father. "I'll only be a minute, Daddy," I said and hurried out into the snow.

I was met by a pair of vampire mates and a human woman.

They all bowed to me. "My Lady," the woman started, "I requested an audience seeking your help. We wish to gain approval to have a child and have found a willing surrogate."

I looked at the woman and waved her forward, holding my breath. "You do this of your own free will?" I asked.

She nodded yes.

"If they're holding you against your will, tell me now. We can remove them and get you home safely."

"No, My Lady," she said nervously. "They're very kind to me and said they would pay for my college if I do this for them. It's only nine months of my life and it'll benefit me in the end."

I nodded in agreement and took a few steps back and took in a breath of fresh air. "Please fetch Edward for me," I told one of the guards. I turned to the mates. "He will know if you're lying," I warned them.

They nodded but held their smiles. He came alone and I half wondered how Charlie was handling my three children. Edward looked to me and then the woman and smiled. "Her intention is clear, dear. She's not been forced." He looked to the mates. "You've gone through the proper channels. I'll call and have a place arranged for you in the castle. Did they explain to you that you would have to go to Italy and give birth there before you returned?" he asked the woman.

"They said it would be a possibility. I'm okay with it. I've never been to a foreign country," she said a little excited.

"Very well, you may proceed; they'll be ready for you when you arrive," Edward said and wrapped his arm around me.

More mated pairs were seeking out surrogates, and as we the Volturi had done the same, we could not deny others. But approval was required and Carlisle or Edward would be the ones to care for and deliver the children. Also, as Alice pointed out, our children would need mates themselves eventually. Edward was not so keen on that idea, especially since our children had been so fond of playing with Tanya's twins. Little Marcus was very taken with our Abigail and it was driving Edward nuts.

We made our way back to the house only to panic when we heard our son, Charlie, yelling at his little brother. "Wet go, Maeton, no hurt gwanpa!"

We rushed inside to find little Mason holding my father's hand and whimpering because his grandpa was crying out in pain and his brother was yelling at him angrily.

Abigail, the sensitive soul she was, was crying along with him for good measure. Edward had quickly removed Mason's hand from my father and hugged our son to him to settle him as I picked up our daughter. "Oh, Daddy, I'm so sorry. I should have warned you to stay out of reach of them."

"That boy of yours has some grip," he said grunting in pain as he moved to get some ice.

"I told you they're strong. Do you believe me now that it was little Charlie that gave me my bruises?"

He looked at Edward who was setting down a calmed Mason and walked over, kissing my head. "I suppose, but that doesn't mean that I won't keep an eye on you!" he threatened.

Edward kissed his daughter's head. "Believe me; I fully understand the need to protect your daughter."

Charlie smiled at him.

"Now, why don't you let me have a look at that?" Edward said reaching for his hand.

"His family has opened a medical clinic in Volterra, he's one of the doctors," I explained.

Charlie looked at Edward warily but let him take his hand.

Edward handled it lightly and smiled. "I think there's only been some hairline fracturing. You should keep it in a splint for the next six weeks and then it should be fine," he said and replaced the ice pack my father had gotten himself.

The kids were going on five and six when we visited again. We came for the summers and my dad took them out on the boat to go fishing. They knew how to be soft with their grandfather now and I was glad to see my father did not hesitate around our children. He wrapped his arm around Mason, helping him reel in his catch and I snickered silently, as I knew Edward, whom we left on the shore, had dove in stealthily and placed the biggest fish he could find on the hook. He didn't want the children to get bored. Silly boy.

We tried to make it a tradition to come on a fishing trip every year with my father for his birthday so when the children were turning fifteen and sixteen, I was not surprised when they asked if their friends could come along.

Charlotte's daughter, Pamela, (she was named after her birth mother) along with the twins Marcus and Dee, asked if they could join us. Edward wanted to say no. He didn't like that our children were starting to keep company of the opposite sex, but I put my foot down. I knew the kids would have lots of fun at the lake if they came.

To keep people from noticing our lack of aging, we bought a little lake house cabin not far from Forks. My father would drive out there and meet us. It took him a while but he finally got used to the differences in me and our family. I worried about my father's health; he seemed to be aging fast and I often asked him to retire and come to Volterra and stay with us. He technically didn't know what we were, so we weren't breaking any laws. We could pull it off, but he always refused.

Five years later, he and Edward both stood staring sternly at Marcus as our daughter, Abigail, made her way down the aisle to him. The wedding was beautiful; Violet was her maid of honor and worked with Alice to make it quite grand. I hated giving up my daughter, but I knew that in the truth of it all, she really was just moving to a different part of the castle. We were all still together.

I asked my father to stay in Volterra with us. I didn't plan on letting him leave and he finally gave in. He lived with us for several years, happy and content, and it wasn't long after his first great grandchild was born that we celebrated his ninetieth birthday with a huge party. He passed away that night quietly in his sleep. Edward did what he could to comfort me but I missed my father. I was glad he stayed with us those last few years. Before he died, he knew that I was truly loved, happy, and safe.

To honor him, Athenadora suggested that we start an annual celebration like they did on Saint Marcus day. And so it was on the yearly anniversary of his birthday and passing that everyone wore brown robes the color of his hair and eyes and every type of fish imaginable was served for those who would eat. The guard would also be evaluated and the ones who showed exceptional worth and valor were given the Silver Swan award to pin on their cape. It felt good to honor my father that way.

And now, as I sat one hundred years after my father's passing, I couldn't help but smile as I listened to my children and grandchildren tell Swan Day stories of my father.

"Love, come on, I'm kidnapping you. I need you for good luck," Edward called to me.

"Again?" I couldn't help but giggle. "You know, luck has nothing to do with it. It's all in the bait."

"Yes, but I'm sure when all the fish see my beautiful wife, they'll be lining up to jump on my hook and I'll win the fish wrangling contest," he explained pulling me to the pond.

This tradition was only started the past century or so and the children loved showing up their father.

"I have a feeling I'm going to win this one," he said and I watched curiously as he took off his shirt. He was still perfectly arousing. I raised an eyebrow in question but he just winked at me before he handed me the pole. "Wish me luck," he smirked and dove in. My silly husband was cheating again.

"Dad is so weird sometimes," Charlie said next to me with a huge grin on his face.

"That's what your grandma Renee thought, too," I replied. I called my grandson, Ryan, over. "Hey, your granddad is cheating again. Want to have some fun?"

Ryan nodded his head so I whispered in his ear my idea. When Edward sheepishly reappeared, Ryan launched in.

"Papaw, you want to know what I'm going to be when I grow up?" Ryan said with a totally straight face.

Edward smiled and ruffled his hair. "What's that, buddy?"

"I'm going to be a scientist and study UFO's and probe people to make sure they're not aliens!" our grandson announced proudly. I thought Edward's eyes would pop out, as his hands instinctively moved behind him. Yep, decades later and his sphincter still remembered…

"That's…that's…interesting, Ryan, science is good. Maybe you could consider going into medicine, though?" Edward stuttered, still covering his butt with his hands. Charlie and I were both shaking with suppressed laughter. He had heard the horror stories of Grandma Renee and her probes.

Edward noticed our faces and we couldn't hold it anymore as we burst out laughing.

"Pains in the ass," he muttered under his breath.

"You should know all about that, sweetheart," I teased, still giggling. Edward grabbed me around the waist and pulled me into a delicious kiss.

"Do I need to steal you away for a little punishment, Mrs. Cullen?" he growled under his breath.

"You can abduct me anytime you like, and this time, I'll go willingly," I said as I captured him in my arms.

And I meant it.

A/N Hey look the story ended! I was getting worried it would string itself out but it ended up wrapping up nicely thanks to a little help from Dollybigmomma. She loves the word sphincter just in case you didn't know. Thanks for reading please review.


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